A Slice of Bittersweet Life
by MiracleHeart
Summary: After a series of tragedies in her life, Nana Yukibara was about to lose hope in her future, until a strange mailman comes knocking at her door. Hetalia Manuals from LolliDictator/0ptimuspenguin
1. Prologue: Yukibara

Prologue: Yukibara

_A white rose, a rare flower that blooms amidst the snow. Although it grows magnificently, with pure white petals and a crystal blue stem, no one dares to touch it. Once embraced, it will melt..._

"Yukibara!" called out a deep, rough voice.

I looked up from the book I was barely starting.

"Your break is over, go back to the counter! Alissa needs some help!"

I sighed and looked at my watch. It read 12:40 PM; my ten minute break was over, bummer. I slipped my book into my locker and headed back to the ice cream counter where my coworker was fussing at me for ditching her.

At 4:00 PM, I bid my boss good bye and rode out on my bike to my next job. I stopped home since it was on the way, to see how my mother was doing.

"Oka-sama," I whispered when I closed the front door behind me, "I'm back from work but I need to go back out later." I entered her room and she gave me her faint, weak smile.

"Welcome back," she said in her hoarse voice. She attempted to sit up from her bed but I stopped her.

"No, you don't need to get up." I smiled the best I could; seeing her so weak killed me on the inside.

"How was work?" she asked me.

"It was fine, busy and crazy as always. There was even some kid's birthday party today." I put my hand on her forehead; it was burning up.

She laughed a little and put her hand over mine, "Cold as always," she closed her eyes, "my little ice pack."

I smiled but I replaced my hand with an ice patch. She was tired and I knew because she would always stay up, waiting for me to come back from work. I gave her some medicine and water.

"I have to go now," I whispered in her ear, "I'll be back by 8."

She smiled and nodded. I got up and left her room. I decided to stop by my room and looked into the mirror across from the door. I fixed my black hair that had a light blue streak along the left side of my face. My hair was long, since I could never buy time to get a haircut. It grew to my hips now. I looked up to my eyes. One was a regular, dark brown color but the other was some icy blue color. I never understood why or how it turned out to be like that. They're both different but had one thing in common: they gave off an exhausted look.

My watch beeped for the hour. _5:00_, _I'd better leave now..._

I dashed toward the front door.

"Nana-chan," called my mother.

I stopped and peeked in her room, "Hai?"

"Stay safe."

"Hai," I smiled, "you too."

I jumped on my bike and cycled to the bakery that was five blocks away.

I got home at about 8:30. Thirty minutes later than I had promised. When I walked in my house, there was a figure lying in the darkness. My heart jolted and I frantically turned on the lights. My mother was unconscious by her room.

"Oka-sama!" I slid to her side and tried to shake her awake. She was still breathing but her body was burning. I carried her to the nearby couch and dialed the dreaded numbers: 9-1-1.

Sirens, neighbors, a stretcher, and the color red were all I saw as they carried my mother away to the hospital. They told me to stay home and promised to call me if anything happens. I just nodded at them and slipped back into my house before my neighbors crowded around me. I dashed to my room and slumped into my desk chair.

"Everything will be fine…" I told myself as I turned on my computer. I decided to read the webcomic _Hetalia_, to keep my mind off of the whole situation, although I kept an eye and ear on the phone.

It was around 1 AM and I started to get drowsy, enough that I started to mindlessly click around. _No calls yet_…

"She is still okay…" I whispered to myself.

I yawned and eventually lost to my exhaustion. The last things I realized before falling asleep was a pop up window, my hand resting on the mouse forcing it to click, the autofill setting on my web browser filling some information, and my head slamming against my keyboard.

The morning came, the call came, and my worst nightmare came. They told me they couldn't do anything and my mother had found her end. They told me that she wanted me to stay strong. They told me I needed to find a guardian in three days or else I'll lose everything else and move to an orphanage since I'm not legally an adult yet. They told me that someone was going to pick me up so I can see my mother one last time.

The next couple of days went by in a blur: I attended the funeral, which was small and simple since we were poor; met false sympathy since no one really knew us; attended my jobs regularly, despite my bosses telling me to take some days off; struggled to find a good guardian; and mourned every night. On the third day, I gave up hope and started packing. I reflected on the life I had before all this.

My father, mother, sister, and I lived a happy, normal life, until when I was 5; ten years ago. My father was a firefighter and he died in one of his rescues; he died with honor. My sister is ten years older than me and when I was 10, she disappeared to Las Vegas, married some guy there, and never returned or contacted home ever since. Now, my mother was taken away. No pets, besides some stray cats, and my only comfort was music and anime, mainly Hetalia, but they will be taken away soon.

I dragged my stuff out of my room and the doorbell rang. _Must be the people from the agency or whatever_.

I opened the door and instead found a huge box in front of me. A guy in a mailman outfit stepped out from behind it.

"Hello, how do you do ma'am?" He tipped his mail cap.

"Erm… I'm fine, thanks…" I just stared at the box, "What is this?"

"It's a Hetalia Unit, ma'am," he pulled out some form, "you ordered one three days ago."

"I-I did?" I was dumbfounded. _I don't remem—must have been when I fell asleep that night!_ "Is there a return policy..?"

"Nope," he handed me a clipboard and pen.

I stared at it and looked at the man, "Are you sure..?"

"Please just sign it. I have other deliveries to go to."

I looked at the delivery truck and it had a… green Pikachu with wings..? _Flying Mint Bunny_… _is this some kind of joke?_

"Umm… how much?" I asked. _With a box that large, probably some thousand…I hope not since I barely have some hundred…_

"The first three units are free." he was starting to look impatient.

_First three?_ "You mean there's more..?"

He nodded.

_Crap…_ I saw some people walk by giving me weird looks. I quickly signed the paper, _Nana Yukibara_, and handed it back to the man.

He helped me put the box inside and handed me a manual, "Good luck Miss Nana." He stepped out the door, "My name is Mark by the way, and I will be back every month or so." Then he finally left.

_What in the world just happened?_ I opened the manual and read the name.

"No way…" I breathed. _Knowing him, this won't be easy…_

* * *

><p><strong>Yep… a Hetalia Unit fanfic. It was going to be the first chapter but I realized it had way too many details about Nana's background life so I decided for it to be the prologue. Can anyone guess which unit she got? Her character profile will be on my page along with Tokumi from my other story, <strong>**Something Like That****. **

"**Hetalia Units" are inspired by LoliDictator **

**Reviews are appreciated ^^**

**ps- "Oka-sama" means "mom/mother" (with "sama" being like the highest respect) **


	2. Chapter 1: Knock Outs and Miracles

Knock Outs and Miracles

I double checked the manual. For sure, it read:

_FELICIANO VARGAS: User Guide and Manual_

He _is_ adorable and all but after watching Ludwig and the Allies group struggle to take care of him, made me feel a little nervous. I set the manual down and looked at the clock. _9:00 AM; the agency people said they would be here in 3 hours. How am I supposed to find a guardian in that short amount of time? Oh wait, I won't… _

I sighed and stared at the large box that was a good foot taller than me, even though I felt pretty tall myself, being five feet six. I reluctantly opened the manual again and read through the whole thing. After about a half an hour, I decided to open the box. _Might as well enjoy my last joys with something I like_…

I read through the three removal options. My head sunk in dismay. I don't have pasta, other units, or want to risk pulling his curl…

"Wait," I reread the first option:

_Cook a plate of pasta and set it next to the box. If you are worried that you will burn the pasta, simply drag your box into the kitchen and start boiling water._

I just need to boil water, no problem. I filled my beaten up pot with water and turned on the stove. I managed to push the hundred plus pound box by my small kitchen. I pulled up a chair and waited for the water to boil, and prepared myself for what was next to come: temporarily caring for another "person" and later losing him as well by being placed in a building where no one would truly love me ever again…

After a while, the water started to bubble and the box shook as a response. There was a single _smack_ followed by a cry.

"Ve~ this box is dark, and cold, and hard!" He cried, "And there's no pasta!"

I opened the top of the box with trembling fingers. _There was a live person in there, how else could I react?_ The top flew off, the Italian popped out, and he hug-tackled me down from the chair I was standing on.

"W-wait!" I tried to grab onto something as I was falling but the weight of the pasta-lover held me down. I slammed my head against the stone counter and was knocked out cold.

When I came around, I was lying on the couch with an ice pack at the back of my head. I jolted up and searched for the clock. _11:30! Thirty more minutes!_ I held my head in pain. _Bandages? Oh, that's right…_ A nice aroma filled the house and I sniffed the air.

"Spaghetti?" I limped to the kitchen due to the soreness from the fall and found my Italian unit serving two plates of pasta.

"Ve~!" He ran towards me and hugged me really tightly, "I'm really sorry!"

I winced in pain, "P-please let me go!" I shoved him off, too hard that he fell to the ground.

He sniffed, "I-I didn't mean to…" He looked like he was ready to burst into tears.

A surge of panic ran down my spine. I knelt down and faced him, "F-feliciano…"

He sniffed again, "Si?"

I sighed, "Please don't cry. I didn't mean to push you that hard."

"Really?"

I nodded. _I'm not used to these things…_

He bounced to his feet, "Well then! Let's have some pasta!" He grabbed my hands and helped me up.

"I'm not really hungry…" My stomach growled. _That's right, I didn't have breakfast_.

I blushed in embarrassment as he laughed at me and lead to me to the small dining room table. He helped me onto the seat like a gentleman and brought the food.

"You're really hungry, silly," he had set the table ahead of time, "come on, eat up!"

I blinked at my plate of a huge helping of pasta. _When was the last time I had a decent meal?_ I thought about the time my family went to an Italian restaurant. _We were so happy then…_

"Don't be shy!"

I snapped back to reality and found him patting my back, beckoning me to eat but I just sat there.

"Wait, does your head still hurt?" He tried to meet my eyes.

I avoided them and shook my head. I blinked back tears. _Forget it, it's all in the past._

Feliciano handed me a fork, "Have some, I promise it'll make that stinking headache go away!" He smiled.

I reluctantly took the fork but stopped, "How did you get these ingredients…?"

He panicked a little, "Well…" He ran to the hall and brought back a jar, "I kind of used some of this and went out shopping while you were unconscious…"

I felt my cheeks grow pale. _That's my life savings! _After having to pay for the hospital bills, I didn't know how much I had left…

He handed me the jar, "please don't hurt me!" He cowered under the table.

I swallowed, "h-how much did you spend?"

There was a slight pause.

"About forty dollars…" He peeked out from the table, "I'm sorry…"

I sighed. It wasn't that bad since I was getting my paychecks in two days. "Please ask me next time, okay?"

He nodded and came out from the table.

I took the fork again and finally decided to eat the delicious smelling meal. Within fifteen minutes, it was all gone.

"How was it?" He cleared the table and went into the kitchen.

"It was good…" I mumbled shyly.

He cheered as he came back out.

The grandfather clock from the living room rang. Feliciano got startled by the dongs.

"It's 12 already?" I leaped from the chair and dashed to the front window. _I still have time…_

I paced back and forth across the living room. _It was nice while it lasted… Might as well turn myself in now… but I can't just leave my home where I lived all my life all of the sudden… and I owe Feliciano now…_

"Hey, hey," he called out, "what are you doing? It looks like fun!" He started pacing too.

I stopped and looked at him. He bumped into me but kept pacing anyway. _That's it!_

"How old are you?" I grabbed the manual from the couch and flipped through it.

"I'm 20!" he said proudly, "but why?"

I took a deep breath, "please be my guardian." _Probably the worst mistake I'll ever make but I had no choice. Besides, he had the traits of "distraction" and "babysitter". I think they will suffice._ "It will just be temporary." I bowed deeply, "I'm begging you, please."

"Wait wait! Me a guardian?" He sounded flustered. "Is it really okay? I mean I can barely take care of myself so I don't know if I can take care of someone else. Also, I'm a unit and you're my owner so is it really okay? It seems kind of wrong but if it's okay with you then I'll try my best but I can't promise yo—"

The doorbell rang.

I rose my head up at him, "Please, I have nothing left to live for. I want to at least keep living at this house where my memories are stored." I felt hot tears run down my cheeks.

He looked even more troubled by my tears but managed to pull himself together, "Okay, I'll do it!" He helped me up for the second time, "but…"

"But..?"

"What's your name?" He cocked his head to the side.

I face palmed, which only made my headache worse. _I never introduced myself, what an owner…_

"I'm Nana," I held out my hand.

"Ve~ I like that name," he smiled and shook my hand, "it's easy and fun to say!" He repeated it several times.

The doorbell rang and series of knocks came this time.

"Answer the door Yukibana! We know you're in there."

I froze and the feeling of panic came back to me. _Why does it feel like I'm some kind of wanted criminal?_

"Don't worry Nana, I'll take care of this!" He answered the door and soon after, a miracle happened.

The people from the agency were convinced that he can be my legal guardian, had him sign several papers, and allowed me to stay here. It felt like Feliciano stretched some truths here and there but it was fine. _I can keep living here! I hope my parents are pleased up there…_

After checking the house for any defects, the people were satisfied and finally left. I leaned against the wall and sighed in relief.

"See, I told you I can handle it," he had his light-hearted smile on.

I couldn't help but to smile as well, "T-thank you…" I mumbled.

"Prego!" He cheered at his accomplishment. "And you finally smiled!"

I blushed a little. _So what?_

I had him gather his stuff and lead him down the mini hallway.

"You can stay here," I pointed to my sister's old room. We kept it clean for any guests and just in case she'd ever returned. When I looked back, he was looking at… the family portrait.

"Hey Nana," he pointed to the picture, "where's everyone else?"

My body suddenly grew rigid. "Yeah… where _is_ everyone?" I whispered and retreated to my room across the door from my sister's, and slammed the door behind me.

"Was it something I said?" I heard the innocent Italian say to himself.

I threw myself onto my bed and just cried; cried the longest and most I've ever cried in my whole life. _Why did they all have to leave me? Where did they go? Why am I left alone..?_

When I finally opened my eyes, it was about 5:00, about three hours after I shut myself in my room. I quickly sat up, although it was a bad idea since my head got dizzy from blood not being able to rush to my head fast enough, and the back of my head was throbbing. _I must have fallen asleep_…

"Ve~" breathed a voice.

Startled, I looked around and found Feliciano sleeping on the ground, with one of the stray cats curled up against his chest. _I think he's taking his… siesta?_ I shifted on my bed and realized that I was tucked in and several used tissues nearby.

"I'm sorry…" I whispered. I'm the unit owner and all he's been doing is taking care of me. I draped my blanket over him and the cat and slipped from my room. I stopped and looked at the family portrait.

"Guess what everyone? I have a new…" _Friend..? What is a 'friend' anyway and is he considered one? _I shook my head and instead faced the calendar. _June 24__th_. Luckily it's summer now so I'm pretty sure he won't be bugging me about school or anything like that. _Not that I think he will when it was school season._

I walked into the kitchen and realized something gravely important. According to the webcomic, Feliciano would eat a lot. He isn't a picky eater but he gets hungry easily. I looked through my fridge and cupboard. I have enough for dinner and breakfast but after that, I'm doomed. I went back and counted the money I had left. There's no way he could wait two days with less food than he's used to. _I'll have to make some sacrifices…_

"Nana!" Feliciano hugged me from behind, "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

I flinched and attempted to jab my elbow into his stomach but I stopped myself. _Self-defense habits…_

"I'm sorry for hurting your feelings earlier! I've thought long and hard about what I said, I'm really sorry! Please forgive me!"

Each 'sorry' added to my headache. "Don't worry about it, it's nothing. You didn't do anything wrong, okay?" I managed to shrug him off and trudged to the living room.

"Ve… okay," he picked up his furry new friend and followed me.

I rubbed my sore head and mentally prepared myself for what was to come...

* * *

><p><strong>The real chapter one! Nana got a Feli unit! He wouldn't be the first person she would have bargained for (if she had a choice) but I thought it would be interesting to see his reaction from having the responsibility of being a "guardian". I also thought that since Nana is in a state of depression, a light-hearted Feliciano would be helpful to her life, like a teddy bear I guess. This chapter was longer than I expected but oh well. <strong>

**Reviews are appreciated ^^ Thank you to those who followed/reviewed this story! **

**If you ever have time, please check out my first story, ****Something Like That****. **

**ps- Apologies if you think my impression of Italy-kun was not really good. I love him (not my #1 fave but he's great) but it's just harder for me to manipulate. I apologize for the million "sorry" from him. Pasta ftw! **

**pss- Hetalia Manual from LolliDicator !  
><strong>


	3. Chapter 2: Work Day

Work Day

"No, don't leave me here alone!" Feliciano banged on my room's door.

It was around 11:00 AM. A week flew by. Some employees from both my work places dropped off my pay checks so I had some cash. I bought him enough food and got used to his whining. He wanted to sleep with me now and then but lately, and luckily, the stray cat's been coming back so he's been sleeping with it. My bosses forced me to take a week off and now it was over, I was ready to work.

"I'm sorry but I really have to go!" I changed into my ice cream parlor uniform; it was a pastel pink mini skirt with a white blouse, matching pink bowtie, and knee high stockings. I can't stand wearing anything cute at this level in general but it was for my own good, especially now since I was going to have to care for others. _At least it was just Feliciano right now_… The job had good pay during the summer since everyone loved ice cream so I couldn't really complain.

I opened the door, making him fall flat on his face from putting all his weight to his banging.

"As your guardian, I demand you to stay!" He said as firmly as he could.

I couldn't help but to let out a laugh; that was just so out of character. I helped him up, "Do you want pasta regularly in the week?"

He nodded.

"Then let me work!" I stepped past him and bolted down the hall. I was over ten minutes late since he would not wake up, took forever cleaning up, and kept bugging me about how small breakfast was.

"You were gone early in the morning too! Don't leave again!" He sobbed.

"I only went out for a quick run—weren't you still sleeping?" I grabbed my bag.

"I had to go use the restroom and realized you were gone, but kitty comforted me so I went back to sleep." He sniffed, "but kitty's gone now so I don't want to be left here alone!"

I just sighed and put on my shoes.

Once I got up to open the door, he grabbed onto my leg. "At least let me go with you!"

"No—" I stopped to think. _He needed a job, if he was capable of having one, and the boss did put up a 'hiring' sign…_

"Please, please, plea—" He suddenly got quiet.

"What's wrong?" I looked down and didn't need for him to answer. He was looking down, blushing madly.

"I'm sorry…" he whispered.

"It-it was an accident…" I shook him off and pulled my skirt down a little lower. I cleared my throat, "Anyway, fine you can come but…"

He jumped up in joy, "What what?"

"I ride my bike to work since it's a little far and I don't know how you can…"

"Ve~ no problem, I'll pedal and you hang on from the back!"

"Okay," I opened the door and let him through, "wait what?"

Before I knew it, I was holding on for my life, shouting directions at him while he was having the time of his life.

I staggered into the work room and bumped into my boss, who was about to leave the room. _I thought I was going to die…_

"What happened to you?" he held me steady, "I'm glad you are back, but it's rare for you to be this late." He looked at the clock. I was about forty-five minutes late since Feliciano kept turning the wrong direction.

My boss, Mr. Ciro, had softened up since my mother's death. He's usually rough with me, claiming that he's only preparing me for the real world, and I respected that since so far, it was tough. He knew my mother for a long time, even before I was born so he kind of felt like an uncle to me. I never admitted that to him though. He let me work here about a year ago when my mother got too sick to work.

"I'm terribly sorry," I straightened myself up, "I'll get to work right away but first…" I dragged in Feliciano, who was cowering behind the door, "he would like to apply for a job here."

I whispered in his ear, "Remember, guardian-like." He just nodded.

"Y-yes, I would like to work here…" He tried to stand up tall but was trembling a little.

"Hmm…" my boss examined him, "show me your smile."

"Smile?" Feliciano looked at me and I just beckoned him to do it.

"Think of pasta," I whispered.

"Pasta…" he smiled his usual spaced-out smile.

My boss looked pleased, "Very nice. Are you good with any crowds in general? Especially kids?"

"Si!" He pulled me close to him, "Especially with kids since I'm her guardian!"

I blushed a little and looked to the side. _I'm no kid…_

"Ah," my boss smiled and faced me, "so he's your guardian?" I just nodded and he turned back to Feliciano, "and are you Italian?"

"Si!" Feliciano smiled, "you are too?"

The boss nodded and held out his hand, "You are hired, Mr..?"

"Just call me Feliciano!" He shook the boss' hand.

"Okay Feliciano, I am Mr. Ciro. Welcome to the team." They started to talk about something in Italian, which I had no knowledge of whatsoever.

I sighed in relief, "What is his job going to be?"

The boss grinned and pulled out a box from the storage room. _Oh no, not the box._

Five minutes later, Feliciano came out from the staff locker room.

"Look Nana! I'm a big walking ice cream!" He twirled in a circle with arms out wide.

I only nodded in approval. I had to wear that too before, and I hated it, but it was perfect for him.

My boss clapped, "That's the spirit kiddo!"

So, for the next four to five hours, I served ice cream as usual and he danced around outside, advertising for the shop, _Frosty's_. He did take breaks now and then, some of which got him in trouble, but I won't blame him; it was around 80 degrees outside. Mr. Ciro got us pizza for lunch, mainly as a treat for his new Italian buddy, and treated me even kinder than usual, which scared me a little.

Our shifts ended and Feliciano fled to the locker room to get out of his costume.

"Here," my boss handed me an envelope.

"Aren't you a month early..?" I just stared at the pay check envelope in his hand.

"I thought you would need it a bit early." He just smiled at me with eyes that hinted a little sympathy, "his share's in it too."

I reluctantly took it, "Thank you…" He probably knew I would need as much help as I could get with _him_ around.

Feliciano came back out, "It was super fun but it was really hot in there." He fanned himself.

"Sorry about that," my boss shrugged, "but it's part of the business."

I bowed at him, "We'll be going now." I headed for the door but didn't hear any footsteps behind me. "Feli—"

"Can I have some ice cream first?" He begged.

Our boss chuckled and handed him a scoop, "On the house, for your first day."

"Ve~ grazie!" He took the ice cream and joined me out the door.

I decided to walk and pushed my bike while he was eating his treat. _No problem, I have some time to stop home…_

"Hey Nana," he trotted a little to catch up with me since I was walking faster than him, "do you know what's ironic?"

"What?" I yawned. The summer heat made me drowsy.

"The store's called _Frosty's_ but Mr. Ciro's name means 'the sun'." He giggled.

"Hm, I never thought of that…" We crossed a street. _I hate walking in the heat…_

"That ice cream was yummy!" Feliciano wiped his hand on his pants.

I realized he was wearing his blue military outfit minus the jacket. That was probably why Mr. Ciro gave me some cash. I needed to get Feliciano some _regular_ clothes.

"Let's ride again," he grabbed my bike handles, "come on!"

I hesitated since people were staring but I got on anyway.

We got home about ten minutes later and Feliciano actually volunteered to stay home. He said he was too tired from working and it was his siesta time, plus kitty came back so he won't be lonely.

"I will be back around 8 to 8:30, okay?" I changed from my ice cream work outfit to my bakery outfit. I was only an apprentice there but I helped display and deliver the goods.

"Ve~ but that's three hours!" He whined.

"I will be back soon, I promise." _On time too; I don't want to make the same mistake again…_

"Promise?" He held up his pinky.

_Pinky swear?_ I sighed and held up mine too, "Yes, I promise."

He smiled in satisfaction and petted his kitty.

"Just listen to the radio if you get bored and don't touch my computer. Also, do _not_ go outside, understood?" I gave him a stern look on the last one. I don't have a TV so I understood if he got bored but seriously, he cannot go outside. I can't imagine what would happen if he did…

"Y-yes, sir! I mean ma'am!" He gave a mini salute.

"Don't answer the door either, and if there's an emergency, call the number on the paper by the phone, under _Dream's Goods_." I headed out again.

There was no reply.

When I turned around, he was already taking his nap. I sighed and wrote the stuff down and taped it on the fridge, the number one spot where I think he'll be around since I'm sure he'll be hungry after waking up. I left the house, hoping he'll be fine on his own. _I mean, he's a guardian now right? So he should be fine… I hope._

* * *

><p><strong>Yay Feli-kun has a job! The store's mascot, a giant walking ice cream. I decided to lapse the time to a week later since I didn't feel like going into detail in their first few days together. Basically, they just got used to each other, bought food, and Nana took time off from work. Still deciding on who the next unit will be... and will Feliciano be fine on his own for three hours? Let's just hope he doesn't mass produce white flags with her bedsheets or curtains. <strong>_  
><em>


	4. Chapter 3: Unexpectation

Unexpectation

"I'm home!" I called out as I walked through the front door. My boss from the bakery gave me a lemon meringue pie as a welcome back gift. _Why is everyone being so nice to me all of the sudden?_

Instead of being welcomed by Feliciano, my head was welcomed to a huge box that stood just a foot from the door. I almost dropped the pie but I kept steady and jumped back to my feet.

"Feliciano!" I shouted, rubbing my head.

"Ve~ Nana! You're finally home," he pranced to the entrance, "and you got a delivery," he smiled.

"I can see that…" I set the pie on the kitchen counter.

"Pie!" Feliciano went for the container but I pulled him by the shirt.

"I told you not to open the door," I dragged him back to the front where the box stood.

"But it was the unit delivery guy and I wanted to know who my buddy would be." He got to his feet and walked around the box, like a dog would do when visitors came to their house.

"How were you able to take it in? I thought the owner needed to be there." I scratched my head. This whole system was confusing.

"I just told him I was the guardian now and he just let me sign several papers."

"Did you read it..?"

"Nope!" He handed me the manual, "I didn't open it yet since I wanted to wait for you." He smiled excitedly.

I flipped the cover but shut it before reading anything, "Wait, I thought these came every month?"

"Every month? I thought they came every week?" He began thinking back but a spider from the corner of the room spindled down in front of him and he hid behind me.

"That's weird… I guess I'll ask Mark when he shows up again." _And give him a piece of my mind if he got the delivery day wrong…_

Feliciano peeked over my shoulder, "Can we open it now, please? Pretty please?"

I just sighed and shook my head. _And I was barely getting used to Feliciano…_

He stared at me with puppy eyes and begged some more.

"Okay, okay fine. Please stop looking at me like that."

"Yay, grazie!" He hugged me tightly, "I love you, Nana!"

My face grew red. _I love you..?_ I struggled free and went to the box.

"We'll see who's in there if you help me push this to the living room."

"Ve~ okay."

Once we got that over with, we plopped onto the couch and I prepared to open the manual.

"I think he will be mad if we don't free him soon," Feliciano looked worried, "he's been in there for over an hour and a half."

"Seriously?" I knew bad things happened if units are kept in too long after delivery. I slowly lifted the cover page. My face grew pale and I slammed it shut again.

"No, way…" I whispered and jumped behind the couch, "There is no way I'm opening that box!"

"Why?" He picked up the manual I dropped, "Big Brother Francis!" He cheered.

The box shook a little at the response.

I gasped and dashed to the hall. _I cannot be anywhere near that guy! He scared me… not scary like Ivan but just scary… I've had bad experiences with men like him…_

"Where are you going Nana?" Feliciano called out.

I went for my room but stopped at where my family portrait was. There were some other things hanging on the wall. I squinted in the darkness and made out pictures with several chibi figures.

"Is that..?" I started to whisper.

Someone grabbed me by the waist and I jumped up about to what felt like three feet into the air.

"Ve~ sorry," Feliciano whispered, "it's me."

My heart was beating like crazy but I managed to sigh in relief, "Good, it's just you…" I slumped against the wall, "What's wrong?"

"I read the manual and tried to free Big Brother on my own, going with the first option, but I forgot words to the song," he handed me the manual.

"_La Marseillaise_? Isn't that the French Anthem or something?" I took French in middle school and in my first, and only, year in high school. Its language and culture fascinated me but unfortunately not Francis himself.

"Yep!" He went into my room, "You should play it from here!" He pointed to my computer.

"Oh yeah, good idea…" I still wasn't too keen about opening the box.

Feliciano somehow shoved the box into my room while I searched for the song online.  
>"Oh, found it." I cranked the volume up, hit play, and hid behind the door. Feliciano sat on my bed and waited.<p>

The music started and about thirty seconds in, the box started to shake and muffled singing was heard.

"_Marchez! Marchez!_ {March, march}" chanted the voice.

"Ve~" Feliciano clapped, "Open the box Nana, please?"

"F-fine," I gulped and slowly pried opened the box.

"_Formons nos bataillon!_ {Form our battalions!}" The singing grew louder as I opened the box more.

"This box is sealed really tight…" _No surprise really, it's Francis we're talking about here._

The song was ending and the box suddenly flew open. Unfortunately, I flew with it and hit the wall nearby.

"_Abreuve nos sillons!_ {Should water the furrows of your fields!}" He stepped out and held that last note for a few seconds longer.

When the song completely ended, Feliciano started clapping. Francis got startled by the sudden noise but got over it quickly.

"Mon Feliciano!" He went to hug him.

"Ve~ big brother Francis," he smiled, "I'm sorry we didn't open the box sooner."

"We?" He looked around the room.

I sat up from the broken box pieces but something from my shelf slid off and hit me in the head, making me black out for the second time since the day I met Feliciano.

A fuzzy vision was all I saw but after a flash of light, the image got clearer. I was standing in a peaceful green meadow with a beautiful lake nearby. I went toward the lake and when I dipped my foot into the water, the whole lake turned into ice.

"What the…" I stepped back and bumped into someone. When I turned around I saw my father, with my mother close behind.

"Oto-sama, Oka-sama!" I hugged them tightly. I let go after about twenty seconds and my mother mouthed something; it looked like "I love you".

Both of them started to freeze up, just like the lake did.

"No, you too?" I reached out for them but I heard the lake starting to bubble. I looked back at it; the ice had melted and turned into boiling water.

I heard crackling and when I turned back to my parents, they were being engulfed by flames.

"No stop!" My vision grew completely white.

I sat up, panting hard. I saw Feliciano in the kitchen drop the pasta box.

"Ve~ sorry, I didn't mean to add that much noodles…"

"Huh?" I looked around. I was in the living room on the couch.

"Are you okay, ma cherie {my dear}?"

I jumped at the voice and realized Francis was sitting on the couch by my feet.

I sat up all the way and hugged my legs, "Y-yes…" _This was kind of embarrassing..._

"Are you sure?" He leaned close to me and dabbed my forehead with a towel; I was apparently sweating.

I blushed but looked at him closely, and he actually looked deeply concerned. Would this be the "overprotective big brother" mode?

I nodded, "Just a dream…" I muttered and held my head, "Ow…"

Francis gave me a faint smile, "Je regrette {I'm sorry}, it was my fault you got hurt. Some of the wood pieces cut your skin; then a pretty thick book fell from your shelf and landed on your petite tete."

_Petite meant small and tete meant… head? Well yeah, makes sense since it did hit my head_.

"Nana!" Feliciano hugged me from behind, "Are you okay?"

I winced as sharp needles stabbed at my head, "Y-yeah, no problem…"

"Liar," Francis poked my head and I whined in pain, "see."

I stood up, "No, I'm fine, just a small concussion." I walked toward the kitchen to get a drink of water but started to topple over.

Francis, who was apparently following me the whole time, caught me, "Come on, mon amie {my friend}, we both know you are not fine." He carried me back to the couch. _I felt really grateful for the "overprotective big brother" mode right now… or else he'll be another headache._ He made an ice pack for my head and told me to stay still while Feliciano made us dinner.

"You name was Nana, non?" He asked.

"Yes." _Good, that's over with so I know I won't forget again._

"Do you mind if I ask you something, Nana?" His voice sounded concerned.

I sat up a little, "What?" _It better not be about my family…_

"Why is Feliciano your guardian?" He had this _are you kidding me?_ look on his face.

I sighed in relief, which made him look at me funny. "It's complicated…" I answered.

"I see… but I say I would make a better guardian, non? Especially since I'm older than him."

_That was true._ "I'll think about it…"

"Et {and}, are you a baker?"

I looked at my clothes and saw that I was still in my bakery uniform. "No, I just work at this bakery, serving the goods."

"Ah, you should show me around when you feel better," he smiled. It wasn't his creeper smile either so I relaxed a little.

"Pasta's ready!" Feliciano shouted.

Francis sighed, "Pasta on a warm day?"

I just shrugged, "You can't separate a man from his pasta."

"I guess not," he got up and helped me to the dining room.

We somewhat enjoyed our pasta and had the lemon meringue pie for dessert. I was let off easy with Francis tonight, much to my relief, but I had a feeling he won't be staying like that for long, especially after I've healed up. _Also, what was that dream all about?_

* * *

><p><strong>Oui, elle a un Francis unit! I'm not sure if I got that right but yeah Nana got Francis. I kind of struggled on deciding who I should put in next (had a list of three) but I thought of some story plot and figured Francis would be a good first choice. Yes, I actually have an actual story plot in mind now. And yes I repeated actual(ly) twice, well trice. Will Nana keep getting hurt from getting more units? How long will Francis stay in his 'big brother' mode? And what would happen if he took over as a guardian? The world may never know~ <strong>

**ps- Oto-sama: father (with sama being highest respect)**

**pss- I took French 1 for like two years so I know _some_ basic French. I apologize if I use them wrong though. Otherwise I just look it up on Google. **

**psss- I also apologize if my France impressions weren't really good (keep in mind he's in his "overprotective big brother" mode in this chapter)  
><strong>


	5. Chapter 4: Family

Family

I opened my eyes. The clock read 5:00 AM. I decided to get up, and changed from my PJs to navy blue jeans and a gray t-shirt. My head was still sore from last night but most of the pain had escaped. Everyone went to bed obediently, even Francis, no tricks. I had my suspicions but I didn't really care right now. I grabbed my jacket and decided to take a little walk. I tiptoed past Feliciano's room and the spare guest room, where Francis was staying. I grabbed my keys, put on my shoes, and left as quietly as I could.

I breathed in the fresh, cool air. I loved how it wasn't humid early in the morning. I've lived in California for all my life but I still hated the heat; a little sad. I pulled on my jacket and went down the street. No one was really awake this early on Saturdays so it was peaceful.

"Hopefully I'll be home before the guys realize I'm gone…" I whispered to myself.

I entered the park that was around the corner and sat on a swing. I used to play here all the time with my sister. I pulled out a tattered piece of paper from my jacket's pocket and opened it, revealing a picture of my mother and sister.

I sighed and longingly stared at my sister, "Where are you..?" Even though she had made several bad mistakes in her life, I still respected her and missed her terribly; especially now since she was the only relative I knew that was still alive. _I should try finding her sometimes… _

A few water droplets fell onto the picture. I looked up and saw that it was starting to shower. I put the picture back into my pocket and retreated under a big tree, which was isolated from the rest of the park. I called it the tree of solitude since no one really paid attention to it or considered it part of the park; I liked it nonetheless. I threw my jacket onto the ground and sat down on it. Some water fell from the branches since it started to rain harder, but it wasn't too bad. I held out my hand and watched the rain bounce off of it. I leaned against the tree and closed my eyes.

_Dear mother, dear father, dear sister, where ever you are; how are you all doing? I'm pulling through little by little. I still have the house, my two jobs, and recently got some new housemates. They are treating me well but I can't help but to feel something bad would happen eventually. I'm trying to push that thought aside for now though. I hope you continue watching over me and…_

"I miss you…" I whispered out loud. Rain was falling onto my face but it didn't matter, it felt pretty nice.

"Ma cherie {my dear}?"

My eyes flashed open and looked up. Francis was holding an umbrella over my head and Feliciano was playing in couple of the puddles. Francis pulled out a handkerchief, "Are you okay? What are you doing here?" He wiped my face.

I shook him off and stood up, "Nothing. What are you two doing out here?"

"I went to check on you but you were gone. When I asked Feliciano where you would be, he told me that you would be out for a run but that wasn't safe since you could have toppled over like last night."

_Overprotective…_ I sighed, "I'm fine monsieur…"

Feliciano splashed in a big puddle nearby, soaking all three of us from head to toe.

"Feliciano!" Francis fussed as he flicked water away.

"Ve~ I'm sorry."

I started laughing a little. When they looked at me, I gasped and covered my mouth.

"Aww, why did you stop?" Feliciano picked up his umbrella that was lying on the ground.

"Oui," Francis smiled, "it was cute."

I just shook my head and headed out of the park.

"Ve~ wait for us!" Feliciano ran to catch up with me.

Francis caught up with me too and grabbed my wrist. "Hey."

I looked back and he was holding my now muddy jacket. I took it from him.

"Can we talk later?" He looked worried, "I'm not the only one concerned," he nodded at Feliciano, "he is too."

I looked down. _I had to tell them eventually, right?_ "Fine…" I mumbled.

He suddenly pulled me close and held his umbrella over my head again, "Let's get home then, ma cherie." He smiled.

I just blushed and scooted away from him, but still under the umbrella's protection.

"Ve~ I'm hungry, Nana." Feliciano said as we got back into the house.

"It's just six though." I pulled off my wet socks and shoes and left them by the door. They copied me. I sneezed and shivered.

"Atchoom." Francis sneezed too. I think I heard a distant sneeze from Feliciano too, who was wandering around in the kitchen.

"I-I think we should change before doing anything else…"

Feliciano walked back and the two nodded in agreement; we left to our respective rooms to get out of the wet clothes.

We met back in the living room and sat on the couch, with me in the middle. They looked at me with uneasy looks, for they weren't sure how to ask the things they had in mind.

I felt trapped in their gaze, "Well…" _Where to start?_

"Let's start with this," Feliciano held up a picture; the same one I was looking at in the park.

"Hey!" I snatched it back, "When did you get this?"  
>"I found it on the ground in the hall," he looked down, "sorry."<p>

"I-it's fine, just sit up if you're going to listen." I took a deep breath. _I never told anyone my life story before_, "The two people are my mother and my sister."

They nodded their heads.

"My sister disappeared five years ago and we never found or heard from her since."

"Was she kidnapped?" Feliciano gasped and clutched onto a cushion.

I shook my head, "She married someone in Las Vegas."

"I'm sorry to hear that," said Francis.

I just nodded and continued, "And my mother…" my throat started to throb, "she got very sick about a year ago and… I broke a time promise and… and she died a couple of weeks back…" I lowered my head and let my hair fall to cover my face.

"Oh no," gasped Feliciano.

"I see…" whispered Francis.

"I had a father too," I swallowed and continued, "he was a firefighter but he died in one of his rescues when I was five…" I fought back tears. _Why is my personal life full of tragedies? _

The two units remained quiet for a bit.

"Don't you have any other relatives?" asked Feliciano.

I shook my head, "Not that I know of…"

"Nana…" Francis put his hand over mine, which was clutching tightly onto the picture.

I flinched at the contact and he pulled back.

Feliciano hugged me and I tried to fight it. _I can't stand any contacts right now…_

"I'm not letting go," said Feliciano.

My throat was throbbing even more. _Don't cry, don't cry._

"Poor enfante {child}…" Francis stroked my long hair.

_Stop it…_

"Big brother Francis," Feliciano whispered, "she also has two jobs and she's only fifteen…" He kept hugging me and I kept struggling free.

"Two jobs?" He looked at me, "Did you drop out of school?"

I closed my eyes and nodded. _Words were stuck in my throat._

"You were working so hard on your own, to keep up with the bills, non?"

_Be quiet_.

He put his arm around me too, "Nana," he whispered.

I managed to look up at him. My heart was starting to ache, feeling as if it was ready to burst like a balloon.

"I know we just met but, Feliciano and I, and whoever else will be joining us, will always be here for you." He smiled gently. "We'll help you with your bills—"

I opened my mouth to protest but no words came out. _I can take care of myself; I've been doing so for seven years. I can handle everything on my own! _are what I wanted to shout at him. I felt my eyes water up. _Warmth is my enemy… Fire killed my father, fever killed my mother, and… a heated relationship took my sister away. _I wanted to break away from the two. I wanted to lock myself in my room. I wanted…

"—and help you learn to love and be happy again…"

_Love? Happiness?_ I felt like my heart popped; I couldn't take it anymore. Tears flowed out from my eyes and before I knew it, I was crying to my heart's content. I hid my face behind a pillow. _Don't look at me…_

"There, there," Francis patted my back gently.

"Ve… I'll go make breakfast," Feliciano let go of me and I fell into Francis' arms, "A nice, warm breakfast to cheer you up!" He skipped to the kitchen.

I was embarrassed. _Why was I crying in front of these two? Why was I in Francis' arms?_I couldn't stop the tears though.

When I realized I had calmed down, I found my head resting on Francis' lap. I blushed, jolted up, and held onto that same pillow I cried on. When he was reading a newspaper and when set the paper down, I saw it was open to the job listings.

"Feeling better, mon amie {my friend}? You were crying waterfalls."

I blinked. My heart felt lighter for some reason. I just nodded.

Feliciano popped out from the kitchen, "Ve~ that's good because breakfast is ready!"

"It's not a breakfast style pasta, is it?" Francis asked nervously.

"Of course not, it's a regular breakfast, silly. American though…" He said glumly.

I ate my food in silence while listening to Feliciano tell Francis about his job.

He laughed, "It's perfect for toi {you}!"

Feliciano smiled and took another pancake from the large stack in the middle of the table.

"I think I found a job as well," Francis took a sip of orange juice. _I'm glad he isn't being picky about food right now…_ I read the manual before going to bed last night and food was pretty strict. I had a feeling he was going to be the "most expensive" to take care of.

"What is it, what is it?" asked Feliciano.

"A French restaurant down the street needed a new gourmet chef." He grinned.

"You make the best food," Feliciano cheered, "you should go for it!"

Francis laughed and looked at me, "What do you think?"

I was caught off guard from counting the pancakes Feliciano made, "Umm…" _Well he is a good cook and needed to be around his culture…_ "I think it's a great idea."

"Glad you agree," He smiled at me for like the tenth time today. It was kind of comforting though.

After breakfast, Francis called the restaurant and had one those phone interviews. He passed and all he needed to do was to prove his skills.

"Ve~ you can do it." Feliciano patted his back.

I nodded in agreement.

"Merci beaucoup {Thank you very much}." He had changed into his chef outfit that came in the box.

"How are you getting there?" I asked.

"It's not that far and it stopped raining so I'll be walking."

"You walk?" _I thought he would be the lazy kind that needed a special transport._

"Oui {Yes}, of course I do!" He fussed, and then messed with my hair, "Feliciano told me about your work schedule so I won't be surprised if you're gone."

"Oh," _Thank you Feliciano_, "okay then.

We wished him luck and waved him good bye as he left for the restaurant. _I'm sure he'll do just fine._

We went back inside and Feliciano was smiling at me weirdly.

"W-what?"

"He's not _that_ bad is he?"

I blushed a little, "I guess not…" _I wish he would stay in that mode forever… but we all know that won't be happening._

Satisfied, he skipped to his room. I went down the hall as well and looked at the new pictures that were hanging there. One had Feliciano when he was younger, with… the guy of the Holy Roman Empire, Mr. Roderich, and Miss Elizabeta. Another had him with Lovino, Antonio, and Francis. The last one had him on his grandpa's lap.

I smiled at them.

_I think my family will be growing…_

**Ahh, this one dragged on for pretty long, sorry! (and emotional-ish…) I know it's just the fourth chapter but I felt like I needed to show Nana's weaker side. She is strong-willed and all but we all have our limits, right? I decided for Francis to still be in his 'overprotective big brother' mode for a bit longer, even though he has a cute little Feli to mess with… although I don't want him to, no! Next chapter will be more or less exciting, depending on how you see it. **_**Possibly a new unit. **_

**Thanks for the reviews (esp you **_**Death Before Darkness**_**) and follows! **

**ps- Again, I apologize for any translation mistakes or bad character acting. **

**pss- If you want something lighthearted, check out my other story ****Something Like That****, merci! **


	6. Chapter 5: This and That

This and That

Without a doubt, Francis got the job and became the new chef for _L'Espoir_. He didn't need to work everyday though, since another chef had applied for the job as well. Francis was to work from six to eleven on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays; which was a bit of a bummer since 1) Feliciano would still be alone when I left for my second job and 2) Saturdays and Sundays were the only days that I didn't have to work fulltime. I had a feeling he would be out later in the night sometimes since he had captured the hearts of some of the waitresses… which brings to another thing: his overprotective big brother mode was off.

I skid down the hall towards the front door. Feliciano was making us late, again.

"Hurry up!" I grabbed my bag and started putting my shoes on.

"Ve~ I'm sorry!" he laced up his boots. _I still needed to get them regular clothes… I had to worry about the bills first though._

I stood up and Francis wrapped an arm around my waist.

"Now, who's the belle femme {pretty girl} in the cute outfit?" he grinned.

I blushed. _Oh right, he'd never seen me in the Frosty's uniform… not good, not good at all. _

I swung my bag at him as Feliciano ran out the door and got the bike ready.

"Well, got to go bye. Please don't ruin anything or do anything indecent, okay?" I hurried out the door and we left for work.

We came back home about five hours later.

"Ve…" Feliciano rested his head against the front door.

I locked the bike away, "What's wrong?" _I've never seen him down before; it must be really bad._

He sighed, "I don't think I can take it anymore…"

"Dancing around in that costume?" I grabbed his shoulders, "Don't quit that job, please!" Thanks to him, more customers had appeared.

He shook his head, "No, not that."

I thought harder but gave up, "What is it then?"

"Being a guardian… Mr. Ciro loves me as his Italian buddy, but he keeps fussing at me about being a better guardian to you," he hugged me and sobbed, "I'm horrible at being one!"

"Err…" I stiffly patted his back, "well… I did say temporarily and if it's too hard for you then maybe…."

The door suddenly opened and Francis stood there grinning.

"I could be your guardian?" he finished my line. I felt my face grow red. _It seemed like a good idea at first but I don't know now…_

"Well?" he waited.

"He _would_ make a better guardian, Nana," Feliciano looked up at me from his hug, "he knows more stuff than me and can pretty much handle everything that I can't. He's a good big brother so he could be a good guardian too." he smiled.

"I don't know…" I looked at the both of them and they were grinning at me. I sighed, "I'll think about it."

"Ve~ okay and I will too just in case I change my mind," he skipped into the house.

"You will say 'yes', non?" Francis smirked.

"I said I'll think about it," I walked past him and saw that the house was in normal condition.

"See, I did nothing wrong," he stroked my hair.

I shook him off and went to my room. I turned back and found him two feet away. _I knew it…_

"Don't think about it…" I warned.

"Oui, oui {Yes, yes}," he shrugged and went back to the living room.

I quickly changed to my bakery uniform and saw that my closet was messed with. _Should have known!_ I saw a familiar blue box lying next to my bed.

"Oh no," I gasped and picked it up. _It seemed fine on the outside..._ I opened it and found that the item was safe and sound too. I sighed in relief.

"Ve~ what's that?"

I gasped again and shut the box, "What are you doing in my room? The door was closed you know…"

"Sorry, I wanted to ask you something and forgot to knock," he laughed nervously.

I just shook my head, "Remember to knock next time."

"Yes ma'am!" he did a mini salute.

"So, what did you want to ask me?"

"Ve… I forgot," he smiled.

I face palmed.

"But really, what was in the box?" he peered over my shoulder.

"It's just something really important to my family," I held the box close to me.

"Come on Nana, we're tes amis {your friends}, aren't we? Might as well tell us now to get it over with."

_Great Francis too. I guess there's no meaning of knocking or privacy in their dictionaries. Well I'm pretty sure it's normal for the Frenchie though, unfortunately…_

I sat on my bed and opened the box. I carefully picked up a sphere that was the size of a softball. It was a crystal ball and in the inside, there was a frosty white snowflake with a pattern of a rose.

"Wow…" Feliciano gasped, "it's so pretty!"

"Oui," agreed Francis, "where did you get it?"

"It's a family heirloom," I carefully placed it back into the box, "it was passed down from my father's family, with the rose-shaped snowflake representing 'Yukibara'."

"Neat," Feliciano smiled.

I nodded, "It was usually passed down through the oldest child but since my sister was not around, or my father, my mother passed it onto me. It's now my responsibility and duty to protect it and pass it down."

"Protect?" Francis asked, "Outside people want it for money, huh?"

"Yes, so I kept it out of sight in general in order to reduce attention," I put the box back into the closet, "so don't tell anyone about it, okay?"

They nodded their heads.

"Good," I sighed, "now…"

"Hm?" they cocked their heads to the side.

"Get out of my room!" I shoved them out and slammed the door behind me. I thought my room was the only place of retreat from them, but I was wrong.

I reorganized my closet and laid on my bed, "_Yukibara_, huh?" I whispered and closed my eyes. _There were no males in the family, as far as I know, so how can the last name be carried out? I guess I could be one of those women that chose to keep their own last names when they married. _

I yawned and looked at the clock. I still had some time so maybe I'll take a short nap…

"Nana! Nana!" _Maybe not._

Feliciano threw the door open, "I remembered what I was going to ask!"

I sat up, "Didn't I tell you to knock?"

"Oh yeah," he left, closing the door behind him and knocked.

I rubbed my head, "Come in."

He walked back in, "I remembered what I was going to ask!"

"What?" I sighed. _It'd better not be "Can we have pasta for dinner?"_

"Can we light fireworks tomorrow? Please?" he begged.

"Fireworks? Tomorrow? What?" I looked at the calendar and surely enough, it was going to be the 4th of July.

"Please? They look so pretty in the sky and I want to play with some," he jumped on my bed and begged some more.

I scratched my head, "I'm sorry about it's illegal to light them at home here. We can only watch."

"Aww," he slumped down.

I poked his head, "But Mr. Ciro's having a barbeque so we could go to that…"

His head shot right up, "Okie dokie!" he ran out the room and I heard him telling Francis about it.

_Maybe I really should switch the guardian responsibility to Francis…_

I put my hair up in a bun and smoothed out my bakery uniform. I hated how it was baggy since the design was the same as a chef's uniform, but at least it wasn't super cute like _Frosty's_.

I walked out of my room and the door bell rang.

"Did you order pizza again, Feliciano?" asked Francis, looking up from some papers.

"Ve~ nope but I will later," Feliciano was playing with his kitty.

I just shrugged and opened the door. It was Mark with a huge box next to him.

"W-what?" I stared at the box.

Francis came up behind me, "Another unit already?"

Mark pulled out a clipboard and pen, "Yes, it's an 'Independence Day' weekend special. Sign please."

"Wait, special or not, you told me that the units came every month. I got this," I pointed my thumb to Francis, "just a week after my first one, which was 2 days ago."

"Really now? My mistake, they come every week," he smiled at me innocently.

I just stared at him in disbelief. _They won't be so easy to take care of now…_

He waved the clipboard in my face, "Can you sign here, please? I need to travel early tomorrow to see my family so I need to get these deliveries over with."

I shook my head, "Another thing, why did you let my unit sign last time?"

"I did?" he just smiled again, "you wouldn't have signed it anyway."

_This guy… he's ticking me off…_ I grabbed him by the shirt, "What's wrong wit—"

Francis held me back, "Sorry, she's uh… a little tired, that's all," he leaned his face against my head, "just sign it, s'il vous plait {please}," he whispered in my ear.

"Fine," I pouted and did so.

Mark wheeled in the box and handed me the manual, "Oh I forgot to give this to you last time," he handed me some guide book. I read the title and froze in place.

"Ohonhon," Francis tried to snatch it but I was faster and smacked him with it, "ow!"

"Have a nice 4th of July," Mark tipped his cap and left.

"Whoa we got a new friend already?" Feliciano danced around the box.

Francis and I just stared at it.

"'Independence Day' special?" I said.

"Which could only mean…" Francis looked annoyed already.

"Ve~"

_It was going to be a crazy 4__th__ of July this year…_

* * *

><p><strong>Whee~ Chapter 5! I'm not sure what to say but to apologize for the late update. I've been busy here and there. <strong>

**Okay, so Francis got a job and turned back to Mr. Pervert, Feli's clueless and innocent as usual, and Nana revealed her family heirloom and will be driven crazy by the guys. New unit! I'm pretty sure you can guess who it is. I'm hoping to be able to post the next chapter right on 4****th**** of july, or else it'll be meaningless D: **

**Thanks for the reviews and follows! Advices and criticism accepted~ (I'm still working on the quotation mark rule…) **

**ps- the 'guide book' was How to Stop the French from Invading Your Bed (yep part of the manual by LolliDictator)  
><strong>


	7. Chapter 6: Independence Day Pt 1

Independence Day Pt 1

"Oh, say can you see by the dawn's early light…"

I opened an eye. The clock read 6:00 AM. We had a day off from work, and it was a holiday, so I wanted to sleep in for once.

"O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly stre—"

I sat up, "Be quiet!"

Alfred looked back from the window, "You can't silence the hero!"

I rubbed my eyes, "I can if it's freaking six in the morning…"

"Oh cheer up," he threw his pillow at me, "it's not that bad."

I threw it back, "Yes it is; especially if you work two jobs on the weekdays."

He tossed it back, "Well it's not healthy to sleep in."

I threw it back again, "Don't want to hear it from you."

"What's that supposed to mean?" he threw it again.

"I don't know, why don't you go figure it out yourself," I threw my pillow along with his.

"Hey!" he threw one back and went for the other.

I grabbed my pillow and this time smacked him with it, "Point is, don't wake me up so early on holidays!"

He hit back, "It's my birthday, and I can do whatever I want! Aren't there exceptions for that?"

"Let me think. No!" I smacked him again.

"Why not?" he hit back.

"Why don't you both shut up?"

We stopped in place and saw Francis standing at the door.

"Sheesh, I'm trying to get my beauty sleep here," he put his hands on his hips, "why are you two up so early?"

I pointed to Alfred, "He started it." _I've always wanted to do that._

"What? You threw the pillow!" Alfred shouted.

"Je m'en fiche {I don't care} who started it! Just be quiet for another hour or so," he fussed and slammed the door behind him.

We looked at each other and ended up bursting in laughter. I realized what I was doing and covered my mouth.

"Hey dude, don't worry, he won't come after us," he kept laughing, "and did you see his hair? It was all messed up, major bedhead!" he fell to the side, laughing his head off.

I just smiled and nodded, "Unrecognizably crazy." _Why do I keep stopping myself when I laugh? I don't remember anymore…Maybe I don't remember genuine happiness… Who cares._

"Oh man," he sighed in contempt and put his pillow on his face.

I sat on my bed and yawned. I couldn't believe I had to end up letting him sleep in my room…

Last night, after we let him out of the box, I had to leave for work. I left Francis in charge but he eventually had to go too, and he left Feliciano in charge. That didn't turn out too well though...

_When I came home, the house was trashed: the couch was all messed up, food scraps and crumbs were everywhere, and poor Feliciano was tied to a chair with duct tape on his mouth. After I freed him, I heard an ear piercing scream followed by a regular shriek. I dashed to my room and found Alfred cowering behind my desk chair, and a scary movie playing on my computer. _

"_Al—" I started._

_When he saw me, he hug-tackled me, "Don't let them get me!" he cried and hugged tighter. _

_I rubbed my shoulder, which had hit the wall, "C-calm down… and… I can't breathe!" He kept holding onto me, trembling. _

"_Feliciano!" I called out as I was trying to pry him off. _

"_Ve~ yes, Nana?" he had a red mark around his mouth from ripping the duct tape off. _

"_Can you turn off the movie for me?" Alfred gripped tighter as more screams were heard, "Before… he breaks… my ribs!" _

"_O-okay…" Feliciano inched to the computer slowly, until a scary face popped up on the screen, "Ve!" he turned back and joined Alfred in holding onto me, trembling as well. _

"_Oh man," I rested my head against the wall, "should have known better…" _

_Unfortunately, since I couldn't move and neither of them would let go, we had to let the movie finish, which ran for another hour. All the while, the two kept spazzing out, including me sometimes. When the movie finally ended, the three of us sighed in relief; but then the front door suddenly opened, making us scream, since it was similar to one of the movie scenes. _

"_Rude," Francis pouted, "I come home early and I'm greeted by screams rather than 'Oh welcome back. You're early today'," he shut the door, "What are you three doing anyway?" _

_Eventually it was time for us to go to bed and after some negotiations and adjustments, Alfred ended up sleeping in my room, while I avoided Feliciano from sleeping with Francis; instead he had the special comfort of his kitty and some gentle Italian music. _

"Yo, Nana."

I snapped back to the present, "Huh?"

Alfred poked my forehead, "You were spaced out for like ten minutes. I thought you fell asleep with your eyes open or something."

"Oh, sorry," I stretched.

I, along with Alfred, eventually fell back asleep. The rest of the morning went by as usual, although Feliciano made special pancakes for Alfred's birthday: chocolate chips pancakes in the shape of anything America-related, as far as his little knowledge knew. I remembered a hamburger shaped one..

After I set aside some money to pay for the bills, I found that I had money left over so I decided to take the guys shopping for new clothes.

"Ve~ finally we get to go somewhere fun together!" Feliciano cheered, "Can you tie my boot laces by the way?"

"Oh come on," Alfred complained, "That's like the fifth time!"

I kneeled down and tied them as tightly as I could, "How do you manage to get them loose so quickly?"

"Hmm…" he just shrugged, "I have no idea. "

I sighed and stood back up. It was really hot today so I decided to wear jeans shorts and a red tanktop to get into the American spirit; but unfortunately, much to Francis' pleasure.

"Are we there yet?" asked Alfred and Feliciano. Feliciano decided to wear his sailor outfit while Alfred wore his regular uniform, minus his bomber and military jackets.

"No, just ten more minutes," I flipped my hair back. I decided to tie it in a ponytail today, but it was still so hot.

Francis put his arm around me, "It was sweet of you to take us out aujourd'hui {today}," he smiled.

"Yeah, yeah, I just thought you and Feliciano deserved some freedom while Alfred needed to enjoy his birt—" I realized Francis was rubbing my upper arm.

"You should show your skin more, ma cherie," he grinned, "You're pa—" I knocked my head back, hitting his chin. He cried in pain and let go of me, "Ow! What was that for?" he held his chin.

"Oh I'm sorry, I got too hot and needed some _personal space_!"

He just grinned, "You're just very vulnerable."

"Be quiet," I muttered. _The heat was making me cranky… I should be careful…_ I decided to walk with Alfred, "We're going to a barbeque later tonight and see some fireworks from there alright?"

"Sounds great!" he grinned, "Is there going to be cake and ice cream?"

"Um… maybe?" _If not… then maybe I could grab something at the bakery…_

"'Cause what's a birthday without cake and ice cream?" he grinned.

"We'll see, we'll see," I sighed.

About ten minutes later, we arrived at the mall. It wasn't particularly huge but there were neat little shops in it. Alfred and Feliciano decided to sit down for a quick break. I looked back at Francis and he flipped his wallet, thought about something, and smirked at us. I swallowed hard. _I have a bad feeling…_

"What's wrong Nana?" Feliciano looked back too. Alfred was just cleaning his glasses.

"I think he wants to—" _Too late._

Francis grabbed the three of us and ventured around the mall, going to nearly every store that sold any article of clothing. By the time he was done, we each held two bags and surprisingly, they all fit into our budget. Alfred, Feliciano, and I were dead tired and plopped onto a bench.

"Ve~ big brother, are you done?" Feliciano rested his head against my shoulder.

"Yeah man, we hit just about every store here; and it's _my_ birthday, not yours!" Alfred rested against the bench.

"Hmm… just a couple of more shops," he was looking around.

He bought so many things, from shoes to shirts to even hats. I mean Feliciano and I bought some things ourselves with the money we had from work but it was nothing compared to Francis'. I also lent Alfred a third of my money so he could buy something as well. Unfortunately he couldn't buy any video games, since I didn't have a TV, but I let him get computer games.

"Ah, there we go," Francis was looking at a hair salon. _Since when do malls have one of those?_

He turned to me with a funny look on his face. I dropped the bag I was holding and hid behind Alfred, "No way, don't think about it…" It was super long, I know, but it felt like my signature look now.

"What's up?" asked Alfred. He looked from me to Francis and back.

"Oh come on, you always complain about how hot it is. Your hair is to blame most of those times," he shrugged.

I turned to Feliciano for some back up but he was napping on the bench.

"Don't sleep at a place like this!" I fussed at him.

He sat up, "I'm sorry," he yawned, "but I'm really tired."

I face palmed and Francis played with my hair, "How about a little trim to get rid of the split ends?" He held up my hair for me to see.

_I guess I really needed a trim…_ "A _little_, right?"

He smiled and nodded. Before I had anymore say, he dragged me into the salon so I could get a _little_ trim. Well, it wasn't a _little_ trim. I also had my hair layered and my blue highlight redone so the color would be more vibrant.

When Francis was satisfied and Alfred didn't feel like getting anything else, we headed back home. Alfred and I were stuck carrying four bags each since Francis had to carry Feliciano, who was stuck asleep in his siesta.

"Je regrette {I'm sorry} guys," said Francis.

We shrugged him off. _The bags were getting kind of heavy…_

"You owe me big time, dude," said Alfred, "it's _my_ day today, not yours."

"Fine fine, we can have McDo for lunch," sighed Francis.

"You are forgiven by the hero," declared Alfred as he happily kept walking.

Once we got home and changed into our new clothes, we went to the _hero's_ favorite restaurant—McDonalds. Fortunately, he had his unlimited McDonalds giftcard so we didn't have to spend too much. I decided to order a simple salad to make room for the barbeque dinner. Francis decided to follow my plan, while Alfred ordered his favorite Big Mac meal, and Feliciano wanted a toy so he went with a Kid's Meal. After lunch, we decided to relax at home a bit and then spent the rest of the afternoon at the park. It was finally the evening. Time for Mr. Ciro's barbeque!

"Ve~ I can't wait," Feliciano played with his scarf. It got a little chilly so he decided to wear his new sea green scarf.

"Oui {Yes}, are there going to be a lot of people?" Francis adjusted his new hat.

"I… think so," I zipped up my white sweater halfway. _It's at his summer house in the hills so probably… and I haven't made contact with much people lately…_

"I hope so!" Alfred was wearing his Uncle Sam hat.

We eventually got to Mr. Ciro's house and there were many people hanging out in his yard. I froze at the entrance. Including people from when I went to school… _I'm bringing three older guys, what will they think? Not to mention I "disappeared" without a word and haven't seen my classmates around at all for a year because of where I lived. When I did, I once overheard someone say they thought I died…_ I rested my head against the gate. _How do I face them again?_

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><p><strong>Yeah… two parts since I wanted to add too much stuff so instead of making one huge chapter, I made it two parts. Alfred starts his day early, unfortunately for Nana, and then they get dragged around by none other than Francis at the mall (can't you imagine Francis dragging everyone around to get them new clothes?) I felt like my Alfred impression was off but I'll make sure to fix that in part 2. My brain's just full of Gilbertness right now… Anyway, HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!<strong>

**ps- Feliciano's scarf idea was from the hetalia seiyuu event in 2010. His voice actor was wearing it and I thought it wouldn't look too bad on him. **

**pss- yes flashback in beginning half was in _italics_. Rest of the _italics_ are side/internal thoughts.  
><strong>


	8. Chapter 7: Independence Day Pt 2

Independence Day Pt 2

I just stood there while the rest of the guys invited themselves in.

"Ve~ Mr. Ciro, we're here!" Feliciano skipped over to our boss and greeted him.

"Glad you guys could make it. Who're the other two?" he was looking over at Francis and Alfred.

"They're Nana and my friends," he smiled.

I saw some people look over at me and I retreated to Mr. Ciro and Feliciano's side.

"Hi Mr. Ciro," I bowed my head, "thanks for inviting us."

"No problem. I mean I practically invited the whole neighborhood anyway," he waved an arm around his yard, "I'm sure you recognize some people."

I nodded. _I did. I didn't want to. What if they thought I was a freak again?_

"Are you okay, Nana?" Feliciano waved his hand in front of my face.

"Huh, oh yeah, peachy," I shook my head. _I just needed to pull myself together.  
><em>

"Hey Nana!" someone called out.

I looked up and felt my face turn pale. _What's he doing here?_

"What's up man? I haven't seen you in ages!" He put an arm around me.

I looked to the side, "Hi Ryan..." He used to help me out a lot during most of my school years but he attended a different high school so I haven't seen him for almost three years. I have to say he was my closest friend, until he started to become a jerk and eventually moved away without keeping in touch at all.

"What's wrong buddy?" he looked at me closer, "Don't tell me your freshie year was crappy because I wasn't there," he laughed.

"I was fine, don't worry," I mumbled and nudged him to the side.

He stepped in front of me, "You sure?"

"Salut {Hey} Nana," Francis put his arm around me, "Who's your friend?" he grinned.

Ryan looked at us funny, "Is he your..?"

"It's not like that!" I blushed.

Francis rested his head on mine, "Don't worry mon ami {my friend}, there's nothing between us."

"Then who is he? He looks like a freaking pedophile!" Ryan pulled me away from him. _He was also overprotective when it came to 'older' people._

"It's okay, really. He's kind of staying at my place. Complicated story." I freed myself from his grip.

"Whoo hoo Happy Birthday to ME!" Alfred was running around telling people to celebrate his day.

I face palmed, "Alfred..."

"You know him too?" Ryan grabbed my shoulders, "What's been going on while I was gone? How do you know these people? Why aren't you hanging with anyone from school? And where's your mom? Doesn't she usually come to Mr. Ciro's parties?"

_Of course, he doesn't know_. I looked up at him with apologetic eyes and dragged Francis with me to a nearby drink table.

"Why didn't you just face him, ma cherie?" he got himself a drink.

"I, I don't know, it's just been too long and all. I didn't know what to say or do," I grabbed a cup of water, "and I haven't seen him for a long time so I was caught off guard."

Alfred joined us and took a sip of water, "This party is awesome! Thanks for bringing us," he grinned.

"You were just running around cheering by yourself," Francis scoffed.

"People were cheering _with_ me, for your information," Alfred tossed the cup to the side, "What are you guys doing anyway? You should be having fun!"

"I will, in a bit," Francis winked at someone and I heard some girls giggling. _Flirt mode? If there was such a thing, yes._ "I'll see you guys later," he went off and started talking with them.

"He won't do anything bad right? I mean it is a public party and they are underaged and all." I looked at Alfred.

"Yeah no worries, he has some manners," he grabbed my arm, "Now come on!" he dragged me to a crowd that was watching a dance off.

"Hey, it's Nana!"

"Whoa you're right."

"I was wondering where she went."

"Who's that with her? The one with the glasses."

"She looks really pale. Is she okay?"

"I saw her reject Ryan."

"He's stupid anyway."

_Whispering everywhere. What did they mean I 'rejected' him?_ I tapped on Alfred's shoulder, "I'm going to the ladies' room."

He wasn't listening so I decided to slip away from the crowd and bumped into Feliciano.

"Ve~ there you are," Feliciano smiled, "The food is really good here!"

"You bet, Mr. Ciro and his wife make the best food," I smiled back. From the corner of my eye, I saw Ryan come toward me. I grabbed Feliciano and dragged him somewhere else.

"What's wrong Nana?" Feliciano looked around, "Is Ivan here?" he started to tremble.

"N-no, he's not," _Why Ivan?_

He sighed in relief, "Okay."

"Are you having a good time, Nana?" Mr. Ciro handed me a plate of food.

"Oh, thank you and yes," I took the plate.

"Don't be shy," he ruffled my hair, "and do you want more Feliciano?"

"Si!" he cheered and followed him to the kitchen.

_Such a food lover_. I smiled and went to sit down. As I was enjoying the barbeque, I heard the crowd chanting Alfred's name. I saw him dancing to a hip hop song and was pretty good at it too.

"Nice," I reached over for my drink but instead of a cup, I grabbed an arm. I looked up and found Ryan staring at me.

I pulled back, "W-what do you want?"

"You've changed a lot," he sat on a chair next to mine, "What happened?"

"Nana~" Feliciano skipped over to me, "Guess what? Guess what?"

"What is it?" I saw Ryan with a shocked face again. _I think I got a lot to explain..._

"Mr. Ciro is going to serve gelato for dessert," he grinned.

"That's great," I smiled at him as he went back into the kitchen.

"Who's that?" Ryan still looked shocked.

"My... temporary guardian," I set my plate to the side and wiped my mouth.

"Guardian? Why do you nee-" He stopped. He understood.

I just stared at the party scene. Alfred was still dancing, Francis was flirting, and Feliciano was helping Mr. Ciro.

Ryan cleared his throat, "I'm so sorry. I didn't know."

I smiled at him, coldly, "Of course you didn't."

"There's the Ice Queen," whispered a girl that walked by.

I looked down. _Ice Queen...  
><em>

"Don't mind her, but really, what's been going on? How do you know those two other guys; the French one and the guy with glasses?" Ryan gripped on my arm. He was clearly worried.

I pulled away, "Today's not the day to tell you." _I have to stay happy for Alfred.  
><em>

He sighed, "Fine, but I'm stopping by your house eventually."

"But you live pretty far." He had moved to Washington because his parents had divorced and his dad had found a better job.

"No problem. My dad was always gone and my mom was clearly too busy from her acting career so I decided to live with my grandparents," he grinned.

"Oh, okay then..." _That's like four houses from mine!_

"Nana! Dance with the birthday hero!" Alfred grabbed me again and started dancing; more like swinging me around and moving me like a puppet. I looked back and saw that Ryanstill looked pretty confused. _Should I tell him everything?_

A couple of hours later, the fireworks were set off and cake was served.

"Happy 4th of July!"

"Happy Independence Day!"

Alfred stared at the fireworks distantly, "Independence..."

I looked over at him. _That's right, it was when he..._

"Ve~ happy birthday," Feliciano handed him a slice of cake.

Francis put a hand on his shoulder, "_He_ would want you to be happy too so don't think about it too much."

"Guys..." Alfred took the cake, "Yeah, you're right. Thanks" he smiled and started eating it.

I sighed in relief. _He'll be fine._

"Yukibara! Help me serve the gelato!"

_I guess I'm not really off from work_, "Yes, sir," I waved at the guys and went to help Mr. Ciro.

The rest of the party went by with a blast, literally. The finale fireworks were huge, wild, and so beautiful. _Best for last, right?_

In the end, Francis had to carry someone again; this time Alfred.

"He's much heavier than Feliciano..." groaned Francis.

"You think he had a great time?" I whispered as we were headed home.

"Ve~ I'm pretty sure he did," Feliciano carried some of the leftover food and cake. Mr. Ciro wanted us to take some with us.

"Oui, since _I _certainly did," grinned Francis.

"I bet you did..." I zipped up my jacket. When he had to leave, a lot of the girls were complaining so he pulled me to him and said he was taken. I blushed madly, "Baka..."

"You said something, ma cherie?" he winked at me.

"Be quiet!" I pulled out my keys as we were getting closer home.

"Mmm... Hamburger street..." Alfred was sleep talking.

"Hamburger street? Only _he_ would," sighed Francis.

"Nana, what time is it?" Feliciano yawned.

I looked at my watch, "About midnight," I yawned too.

Francis yawned as well. _Wow those are contagious._

We went inside and after we settled in, we went straight to bed.

_What an interesting 4th of July...  
><em>

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><p><strong>Happy 4th of July! Pew pew fireworks~ I barely made it, dang it. 5 mins late!<br>It's not really an all cheerful chapter, but oh well.  
>Poor Alfy got too tired in the end. At least he had fun ^.^ (and Francis is the human pack mule!)<br>Ryan is Nana's childhood friend but he become a jerk, they broke off their friendship, he moved, and now he came back like he was her best friend again. If I was her, I would be mad at him too. Sorry if their interaction was a little too dramatic. Also, as I was writing this story, I realized that Nana was only 15 while the rest of the guys were so much older (especially Francis). I felt like that would bring some issues along the way so I included that in there.  
>I hope you guys had an awesome Independence Day :) <strong>

**ps- Yes 'Hamburger Street' is a reference to his character song**

**pss- Sorry for the simple and choppy ending. I ran out of ideas x.x**  
><strong><br>**


	9. Chapter 8: Fever

Fever

_Ugh… my head…_ I sat up and realized that I was on the ground. I drew my eyes to my bed and found Alfred there, deep asleep.

Several days had passed since the party and Ryan hadn't shown up at all, much to my relief.

I stared at the American again. I've protested to have anyone using my mother's room until I pack and clean it up but, I've been too busy, and tried avoiding to. So much to his dismay, Alfred was to either sleep on the couch or on someone's floor. _First come, first serve, right? But how did he end up from my floor to my bed…_

"Hey!" I shouted. _Ow, my throat…_

He didn't budge or made any signs of hearing me. I only got more snores as a response.

I sighed, "Never mind then." _But really, my head…_ I rubbed it. _Did I fall head first?_

"Nana! Nana!" Feliciano banged on my door.

I stood up, holding my head, and opened the door, "Yes?"

"Nana—" he gasped at my pajama appearance, "We're going to be late!"

"L-late?" I stepped back and read the clock. _11:15 AM_. "What?" I immediately kicked Alfred out of my room, though surprisingly, he stayed asleep. I slammed the door behind me and changed. All the while, my head was pounding, my throat felt scratchy, and my eyes felt a little heavy. _Just a small cold, not going to hurt me…_

After five minutes, Feliciano and I headed for the door.

"Hey!" called out Alfred. _Now he wakes up?_

"What?" I shouted back as Feliciano got the bike ready.

"What do I do?" Alfred was eating a waffle that was wrapped up from the breakfast that we apparently missed.

"Play your computer games, read, listen to the radio, or something. Just don't—" I started coughing. I shook my head and cleared my throat, "Just don't make a mess or go outside…" I shut the door and hopped on the bike, leaving the house in the hands of the American.

We were halfway there and I felt my body starting to heat up. _Dude, how hot is it today? Wait I'm starting to sound like Alfred… _I rested my still aching head against Feliciano's back.

"Are you okay?" He turned our usual corner.

"Don't worry about me. Mr. Ciro's going to scold us again for being late…"

"Ve… okay."

We were almost there and I realized something, "Where's Francis?"

"I think he went to buy some ingredients for the restaurant after breakfast."

"He didn't bother to wake me up?" My clock's batteries were also gone, like he was preventing me from getting up.

"He told us not to bother you…" he still sounded concern. _Really, I can make it. _

We got to Frosty's and dashed in. When we thought the coast was clear, we headed into the work room to quickly get to work, but unfortunately, that didn't go as planned.

"Feliciano! Nana!.." Mr. Ciro's voice trailed off when he looked at me and put a large, rough hand on my forehead, "You're burning up!"

I stepped back and bowed at him, "I'm sorry for being late again. I overslept and…" I started to feel dizzy.

Mr. Ciro just sighed, "Feliciano, get to work."

"Ve, okay…" he looked over at me with a worried expression and then left.

I headed for the counter but my boss stopped me and pointed to the back door. _Dang it…_ I plopped onto the nearest chair. There were times when I could get past him without him noticing I'm sick or hurt but today's not the day. I held my head again.

"Alissa!" my boss suddenly called out.

"Yes?" my coworker popped her head from the mini kitchen.

"I'll be out for a few so you're in charge," he grabbed his car keys.

"Got it boss," she glanced at me real quick and went back to work. I could never tell what she was thinking behind that expressionless face. She barely showed any emotions and she does treat me fairly, but there were times when she would get really mad at me, since she is older and had the right to boss me around. _Still, she was a mysterious person to me…_

"Can you get up?" Mr. Ciro opened the door.

"Y-yes," I went out the door and at that, he ended up taking me back home.

"It's rare for you to get sick," he said to break the silence. I was too busy agonizing over my headache that I forgot he was there. "Have you been eating well? You aren't overworking again are you?"

"Well I did skip breakfast…" _and I guess had been working harder than ever, since I got three crazy housemates to take care of now. I've been dodging Francis' perverted moves, dealing with Feliciano's whining and short attention span, and Alfred's pleads of having more electronics such as a TV. I've also been keeping up with bills, laundry, and food needs; although Francis and Feliciano help me with the bills and cooking. Alfred… well he'd just arrived so I'll cut him some slack for a couple of more days. _

"Nana?"

I looked up from my trance, "Yes?"

"We're here," he nodded at the window.

"Oh, thank you," I headed out.

"Get some good rest or else I won't let you get back to work," he grinned.

I nodded, "Yes sir." _Good idea… I feel ten times worse right now…_

I waved him good bye as he drove back to his shop.

"She'd better get the job done. What? I'm only using her now. She's getting boring. Huh? Yeah, there should be no one in the hou—"

I looked behind me but saw that no one was there. _What was that about..?_ I shrugged the question off for now and entered my front gate. I leaned my head against the door as I was opening it. Before I even turned the key, the door swung open and I fell face down to the ground.

"Ow…" I mumbled. _That made the headache even worse!_

"Oh, sorry man," Alfred helped me up, "I saw you through the window but I didn't realize you were going to open the door." He looked over me, "You look pretty bad."

"You think?" I felt my body heating up even more. My head felt heavier than before. My throat hurt like daggers when I swallowed. I could barely stand. "I'll be in my room…"

"But I was in the middle of a game!" he whined.

_Of course…_ "Okay fine. I'll be resting on the couch but let me change first…" I wobbled my way to my room and few minutes later, came out in shorts and a t-shirt with a pillow and light blanket in hand.

Alfred helped me get comfortable and soon after, he went back to his game. I decided not to put on my blanket. My body was burning hot. My head was killing me and I felt myself even panting now. _It's been too long since I've been this sick, what the heck do I do? What did mother do? _ I knew Alfred wouldn't know either, especially since he's ignoring me right now, and I felt too weak to get up again. I rested an arm across my forehead and eventually drifted into a deep sleep despite my miserable state.

"Ve~ is she okay..?"

"Don't know, she's been out for like six hours. The burger didn't help at all!"

"Of course not you imbecile!" There was a sigh, "I've got to go to work. Give her the medicine I bought when she gets up. Alfred, you are to stay quiet, and Feliciano, you make sure she doesn't overheat. Got it?"

"Okie dokie."

"The hero understands! I mean," there were shuffling of clothes, guessing he was making gestures with his arms.

I heard feet shuffling about and soon it got really quiet. When I thought everyone had left the room, I opened my eyes. I saw Francis leaving but he caught my gaze and smiled.

"Au revoir {Bye}," he whispered.

I blushed a little and nodded, "bye…"

Once he left, I sat up. My head felt so much better than earlier. _Six hours? That's a super long nap coming from me…_ I started coughing.

"Ve~ Nana!" Feliciano was holding an ice pack and came to hug me.

I held up a hand to stop him, "Do you want to get sick too?" my voice came out hoarser than I expected.

"N-no," he handed me the ice pack, "How do you feel?"

"Thanks and somewhat better," I put it on my pillow, "I'm sorry for leaving you alone at work."

"It's okay, Alissa was being nice today so it wasn't too bad," he smiled.

"That's good," I laid back down and sighed as my warm skin touched the nice cold ice.

"Umm…" Feliciano looked at the ground, "I'm sorry."

I turned my head to him, "About what?"

"For stressing you out a lot…" he shifted about on his feet.

"Stressing me out?" I thought back. _I guess he did a little but I got used to it by day five of him being with me_.

"Yeah. Francis said you got super sick because you were tired and stressed out from taking care of us," he sobbed, "I'm sorry!"

I sighed and couldn't help but to smile lightly, "Feliciano," he looked up, "It's not your fault so you don't have to be so sorry."

He looked up and I knew he was reassured by my smile. He sniffed, "Okay," and smiled back.

I sat up again and my stomach growled. I blushed in embarrassment as Feliciano giggled at me, and a bag of… McDonalds was thrown at me. I looked up and saw Alfred flash me a thumbs up.

"Um…thanks," _I couldn't really stomach fast food right now_…"better than nothing," I muttered and smiled faintly at him. I took a fry and ate it so he'll see that I was thankful.

He nodded in approval. _Right, Francis told him to stay quiet… Didn't think that was possible._

The food wasn't that bad. I eventually finished the fries and half of the chicken sandwich. I wrapped the other half back up to save for later, and Feliciano gave me some medicine, which made me drowsy again.

A couple of hours went by, with me reading random newspaper articles and magazines, Feliciano cleaning the house, and Alfred still playing his game.

"Hey Nana," said Alfred. He and Feliciano had some pasta for dinner and now we were all just hanging out in the living room.

"Yeah?" I yawned.

"Why don't you have a TV again?" _This is like the fourth time he asked me!_

"I don't have time to watch it, it takes up space, and it wastes electricity. That's why I have a good computer, if you hadn't noticed. I can do everything from there." I fixed my pillow.

"Ve~ that's smart," Feliciano was playing with his kitty. _I guess it's part of us now? I'm not taking full responsibility for it though._

"So I'm stuck playing computer games?"

I nodded.

Alfred whined, "Can't we get one? More people are going to show up anyway."

"I don't have the money," I simply replied.

He stood up, "how about we put our money together and save up for one?"

I sighed, "By 'we', you mean Francis, Feliciano, and I?"  
>"Yep," he grinned.<p>

I threw one of the couch cushions at him, "Get a job!"

"I don't want to!" he fell back as the cushion got him.

"Then no TV," I shrugged.

"Fine! But not now," he crossed his arms. _Is he going with _'_Enjoy your freedom while you can' or something?_

The grandfather clock rung for the hour; it was 10:00 PM.

"We'll talk about this some other time," I yawned, "go to bed."

"But it's still early!" Alfred protested.

"Fine, I'll play a horror film to pass the time."

"No!" shouted Alfred, even Feliciano as well.

"Then go, I'm sleepy," I laid down.

"Ve~ good night, Nana," Feliciano skipped to his room with his kitty scampering after him.

"'Night," mumbled Alfred. I had a feeling he'll be playing his games for a while longer. He turned off the living room light on his way.

Once I heard two door clicks, I sighed in relief and closed my eyes. _Why do some medicines make you so drowsy?_

For what seemed like several hours later, I was awoken by the sound of the front door opening. In the darkness, instead of making out one figure of Francis, I saw two…

* * *

><p><strong>Aw Nana got sick D: Overworking and stress does make you sick (knowing from experience). Not much Francis, game-obsessed Alfred, and sweet and caring Feliciano. I kind of portrayed Francis like a fatherly figure… didn't mean to but it just turned out like that. Does it suit him? Or does it make him seem like a super old man (manual said 26)?<strong>

**What was that random voice and who is that second figure? The world may never know~ (besides moi of course) **


	10. Chapter 9: Summer Beauty

Summer Beauty

_Who was that?_

"Francis?" I called out, my voice still being hoarse.

The lights flashed on and I sleepily rubbed my eyes.

"Oh, je regrette {I'm sorry}, did I wake you up?" he shut the door and helped support a… woman to a nearby chair.

I felt myself blush, "W-what did I tell you about bringing women over?" I looked at her closely and her face was faintly red; she was drunk. _Did you steal her?_

Francis rubbed his shoulder, "Erm… well it's not what you think, ma cherie. She got drunk at our bar table and no one, including herself, would take her home and it was getting late so I thought I'd bring her here instead of leaving her alone…"

I just stared at him in disbelief. I glanced over at the woman again. She was really pretty, despite her drunken look, with long, curly, jet black hair and clear make up. If I hadn't known the media much, I would have guessed that she was some model. Though, something about her visage was familiar…

She suddenly got up from her chair and hugged Francis' arm, "It's true~ this nice man is letting me stay here…"

"See," Francis shrugged.

I sighed and nodded at her, "Hello," I got up and gathered my stuff, "I guess I should make the couch open for her…"

"Merci, Nana," Francis flashed me an apologetic smile.

I fixed the couch, "Yeah yea—"

"Nana?"

I faced the woman again but she glomped me before I could fully react and we fell back onto the couch.

I grew stiff at the sudden contact but managed to pull out a voice, "Y-yes?"

"Nana!" she giggled, "I'm home~"

Francis rose a brow while I froze completely in place, "W-what do you mean?" I laughed nervously. _Obviously drunk talk, right? There's no way 'she' will come home all of the sudden._

She looked up at me with a pout, "You mean you don't remember your big sister?"

I stopped laughing and stared at her. _W-wait, what? I mean I knew she seemed familiar but… no never mind, this is so sudden, I mean… wow! Can a person change so much in five years? I don't even know how to react…_

"Nana-chan~?" she was still drunk though, "What's wrong? Aren't you happy to see your sister, Natsumi?"

I opened my mouth to reply but no words seemed to come out. _I was happy but… man I don't know what the right reaction was… I'm so confused! It's just that something seemed off… _Out of nowhere, I felt tears run down my face. _No, not the tears…_

She giggled again and hugged me tightly, "I missed you…"

I blushed and looked down at her. I gulped and shifted her hair for a specific confirmation. When I saw a scar across the side of her head, I felt satisfied. _She was hit by a fast pitched softball when she was at school one day… that scar was pretty deep too… proof that she is really her… _

"I… I missed you too…" I hugged her back and started sobbing in her embrace, even if Francis was watching us. I didn't have any care in the world right now.

After a while, I let go and realized that she had fallen asleep. I smiled at her and gently set her down across the couch. I draped a blanket over her and tucked a pillow under her head.

"Where have you been?" I whispered, not caring if she heard me or not. Francis had decided to leave us alone and gone to bed. _Glad someone in here can read atmospheres…_

I stretched and decided to go to bed as well. Before I did, I looked over my sister one last time. _She grew out her hair… and she looked pretty healthy… unlike me, who looks like a ghost, sheesh. I wonder why she was in the area, and why was she alone? Doesn't she have a husband?_ I just shrugged and went over to my room, only to find Alfred sleeping on my bed again and the computer screen still on. I shut the machine off, not caring if he saved his game or not, and groaned as I saw that my room was a complete mess. _It's not your room you know!_ I was in no mood to sleep on the floor, or bother Feliciano, and I couldn't sleep on the couch, and Francis' room was no option, so I had to make a 'sacrifice' and sleep in my mother's room. As I turned around to leave the room, I found the heirloom's box on the ground again.  
>"Seriously..?" I picked it up and decided to take it with me.<p>

I trudged down the hall and entered the _restricted_ room. There was both an eerie and welcoming feel to it as I walked in further. Unsettling because it was so dark and quiet, but welcoming because I've been in here numerous times.

I glanced over at a picture and smiled faintly, "Oka-sama…" I set the box on the night stand and crawled into the bed. It felt so strange to be in a different bed, but also comforting, as if the covers were mother's embrace.

As I was getting comfortable, there was tapping on the door. I sat up to see who it was.

"Bonsoir {Good night}, ma cherie," whispered Francis.

I just nodded and lay back down. _Well, it was thanks to him that I was able to be with my sister again…_ The door softly closed and so did my eyes, leaving me surrounded by the calm darkness.

"Mission accomplished."

I froze in place and flashed my eyes open. The digital clock I brought with me read 3:00 AM, two hours after I went to bed. _How I did I wake up? I don't know… _There was a quiet snicker behind me and something was closed. _It sounded like a box… wait, 'mission accomplished'..? Oh no. _

I jolted up and made out a faint figure in the darkness, holding the heirloom's box. The moon decided to play hide and seek behind the clouds tonight so the room was almost pitch black.

"Hey!" I shouted.

The figure shuffled back and cursed something under their breath.

"Put the box down!" It didn't come out strong as I hoped. _Stupid cold…_

"Why?" the voice said mockingly. _Wait, was that my sister?_

"I-it doesn't belong to you," I grabbed for it and missed as she stepped back. As I fell to the ground, my headache returned. _Don't wear off now, meds…_ I tried again and when I got close, she pulled out something and pressed it against my shoulder. I gasped in horror as I realized what it was and she shoved me to the bed. Before I completely fell over, I grabbed her long hair, which slipped off from the tug. _A wig..?_

"You've pulled a wrong move there, little girl…" the figure growled.

I managed to kick her off and quickly switched on the lamp. Her face became clearer and color drained from my face. _That wasn't my sister…was it? _I stared down at the bundle of hair I had in my hand.

"Hmph," the stranger recovered from her hit, "Playing dirty."

"Who are you?" I stared at her. _How can there be someone exactly like my sister? Even without the wig she looked like her…_

"Observant idiot," she grabbed the wig back, "but, I still am your _beloved_ sister." Her actual hair was short in a bob cut and her makeup was washed off.

I sat on my bed, dazed, confused as ever, "W-why are you attacking me? What are you doing with the heirloom?" I had million more questions but I was cut short when she glared at me.

"It'll probably be the last time I'll see you anyway," she shrugged, and before I could act, she jabbed my shoulder and I fell to the ground.

I couldn't move, "Why—" she sat on my back and smiled devilishly.

"Big sister's been having a _ton_ of fun over the last five years. She married a handsome man, joined a group, and now living on the edge. Hubby took me in under his wings and now I do these kinds of things as a living," she chuckled quietly.

I tried moving my head but I was completely paralyzed, "B-being a thief?"

"Sure, hun," she ran her finger across the box.

_My sister… my sister who was always obedient and got perfect scores in school… turned out like this? What happened? _"Why are you stealing the heirloom? You know it belongs to our family."

She flinched at the last two words. A sense of feeling returned to me, but she grabbed hold of a chunk of my hair and yanked hard. I yelped as a response when the nerves in my head decided to function again.

"'Our' family? No one freaking cared about me…" she pulled harder, "It was always _you."_

_Me? No way, mother was always talking about Natsumi and how she was a perfect girl…_ "T-that's not true—"

She stepped on my hand with her high heels, and I screamed in pain this time, thanks to the buildup of agony from the hair pulling.

Footsteps were heard outside the door.

"Nana? Nana? Are you okay in there?" It was Feliciano. He was about to open the door but gunshots made him change his mind, "Ve!"

"Stay out!" my sister shoved the pistol back into her belt. _When did she have that in the first place?_ She grabbed my hair again and lifted me up until I was level at her eyes.

"You were always 'Miss Center of Attention'. I _hated_ you for that. No matter what _I_ did, _you_ always managed to steal mom and dad's… heck, even my friends', attentions."

_Did I..? I mean was always getting into some kind of situation, whether if it was tripping or getting sick, but they always told me that my sister was being strong so I should too…_ "T-that's a lie. They all loved you _a lot_," I bit my lower lip to hold the pain.

She suddenly let go and laughed, "You're the liar. No one cared about me. Now, I don't freakin' care about them, or you."

"Nana!" This time it was Francis but he retreated as well when my sister shot another bullet.

"Look at you, still surrounded by people that cares about you," she got off my back and admiringly gazed at the box again, "Even skipped over me for inheriting this beautiful heirloom…"

"I-it's your fault for not sticking around," I started coughing from trying to catch my breath. _The meds are really wearing off…_

She pointed her gun at me, "It's _your_ fault for making me want to leave."

"Everyone missed you so, so much once you disappeared," I whispered as I struggled to sit up, "They all deeply regretted on how they treated you—" she locked her gun. I swallowed hard. _She reminded me of Vash… but anyway why was she so dead serious about this whole thing, enough to threaten me with that..? Was she holding onto this grudge for this long—That random voice from before, could it be?_

"You're just saying that to make me feel better," she glared at me.

I returned her gaze, "You're still so stubborn." _I hope this won't kill me…_I leapt up and grabbed her pistol, pointing it away from the either of us, "You can't even see that your 'husband' is just using you…" _That voice, it could have possibly been him…_

Her eyes widened and she slapped me to the side, hard. I slammed my head against the wall but somehow managed to keep conscious.

She stepped up to me, "What do you know, Snow Freak?" _Now I really made her mad, not good…_

"That you're a Summer Beauty!" I subconsciously blurted out. _I… wasn't even planning to say that, stupid head…_

She stopped in her advances. Her name, Natsumi, meant "summer beauty", and ever since I was little, I believed that it suited her; she was the prettiest person I knew. She blushed a little, probably remembering the memory as well, and looked away to the side.

_Dirty tricks or not…_ I used the chance to snatch the box back.

"H-hey!" she grabbed hold of my hair as I tried to retreat. _Gah! Stupid long hair!_

"Why are you trying so hard for him?" I held the box close to me. _Mother entrusted this to me, my sister would only use it for greed, and it was my job to protect it. I will not give it up that easily…_

"He's counting on me! I can't afford to fail him," she gripped harder.

I took a deep breath, "He probably doesn't even love you anymore. He probably never did to start with. He's a conman or something along that line. You can't trust him at all…"

She pulled me into her arms, "How would you know?" she growled. _This wasn't her at all… yet, it was her…_

"I-I heard him talking on the phone… at least I think it was him. He said the he was bored of you and—"

"Lies!" she shouted, making me flinch. _Crazy woman…_ "He was the only one who truly loved me, who kept his attention on me, for five years…"

"It could have all been a façade, to get closer to what he truly wanted… money, power—"

"I've had it with you…" she muttered and threw me onto the bed. I turned over to my back to counter but she pressed the pistol over my heart, which was now beating rapidly. Darkness was all I saw in her eyes. Her whole image became one of a stranger. _Who was she..?_

"Onee-chan {Big sister}, I—"

"Shut. Up," she smirked, "This is the longest I've kept stubborn victims alive…"

I felt deep fear run down my spine for the first time tonight. _Natsumi… she's long gone…_ "D-don't do it…" I swallowed, You're going to regret it for the rest of your life…"

She didn't flinch at the words, at all. Her mad grin only grew. _Like a female Ivan—wait it's not the time to be thinking about that!_ I felt tears and panic swell up. The more I struggled, the harder she held me down, and the louder her laughter became. _I don't know this… stranger…_ I closed my eyes in defeat.

A dull clunk, a gunshot, and gasps of horror were all I heard.

* * *

><p><strong>Yikes dark chapter… I've wanted to write something like this so I thought I'd experiment with this story, since it wouldn't fit in with the more lighthearted scheme of my other story. I never written like this before so apologies if it's too rusheddramatic/etc. I had to rewrite this chapter sooo many times since I couldn't decide on how I wanted it to be, especially with the sister. I promise the next chapter will be more 'lighter' since it will be my real 10****th**** one (You know, minus the prologue) and I want to leave it with a lighter note. Then again, I will be gone for camp from Wednesday to Saturday and a friend will be staying over for two weeks so I'm not sure when I'll be updating. I'll try to write as free time opens up! **

**Nana finally reunites with her sister, only to find her trying to kill her to get the heirloom for her hubby! How rude… speaking of rude, Alfred's rude of stealing her room! **

**Anyway, thank you for all the reviews and follows! :) Please tell me what you think about this style? (of course I won't use it _that_ much since it still needs "sweetness" in Nana's "bittersweet" life)  
><strong>

**ps- sorry if my pistol terminology was wrong ("she **locked** her gun") **


	11. Chapter 10: Cold Tension

Cold Tension

I laid there in silence, eyes wide opened. I held my breath for what felt like a century, trying to absorb what had just happened. Just a moment ago, my sister whispered _I still hate you_ and now her body was weighing down on me. She was still breathing but was out cold. There was a gunshot too. _Did she shoot herself?_ I was too scared to move. _What happened?_

Her body was suddenly lifted off of me. Alfred stood in the back with a baseball bat and his scowl changed to a grin once I met his eyes.

He flashed me a thumbs up, "Did you call for a hero?"

I attempted to sit up but pain sparked through my body. I held my shoulder and fell back down.

"Non… ma cherie, stay still," Francis was there holding up Natsumi, "Don't move at all…"

"Huh?" was the only thing I could think of saying. I had no idea of what happened in the five seconds of darkness.

"Nana!" Feliciano cried and came up to me with the first-aid kit.

There were sounds of police sirens outside the car. I was so confused.

Within five minutes, the police took my sister and drove away to put her into jail. Within ten minutes, Feliciano patched me up temporarily and I was rushed to the hospital. During the fifteen minutes, I was just in shock; terrified to a new level, betrayed by a living family member, and received my first fatal wound.

"Hey, Nana?"

"Ve~ Nana?"

"Nana..?"

"Nana!"

I snapped awake and realized that I was back at home with a cast on my shoulder, where the bullet hit, and just sitting on the couch. I looked around and saw my units staring at me concerned… _Wait_. _One, Alfred; Two, Feliciano; Three, Francis; Four…_

"Finally," Ryan sighed in relief, "We thought you were in some weird coma where your eyes were open!"

Francis shook his head, "Only _you_ thought of that, mon ami {my friend}."

"Ve~ are you okay?" Feliciano sat next to me.

I blankly blinked for a while, "I… I don't know…"

"Dude, you were spaced out for hours!" shouted Alfred.

"Hours…?" I searched for a clock.

Francis sighed, "I think she needs to be left alone for a little longer."

"No way! I didn't come all this way to just leave already," Ryan sat on the opposite side of me, "and I still don't trust you guys."

"Ve~ you can always trust me," Feliciano cheered.

"Err…" Ryan stared at him and then at me.

"Hey, I'm the hero who stopped that crazy woman!" Alfred did his usual hero-thumbs-up-pose.

"Oui, and I called the police," Francis crossed his arms and leaned against the wall across from the couch.

Ryan stared at them and they stared back. I felt this cold tension flow through the room.

The doorbell rang.

"…I'll get it…" I got up and opened the door. _Probably some police or neighbor asking questions…_

"Hi—what happened to you?" Mark looked over me. There was that huge box again, except it was bigger than the ones from before.

"Nothing much…" I mumbled, "…New unit?"

"Uhh yeah, new unit," he held out a clipboard, "Sign here."

I scribbled my signature and let him wheel in the box.

He handed me the manual, "Well, I hope you heal soon," he tipped his cap and left.

I sighed and realized Ryan was gawking at me.

"W-what?" I sat down on a chair near the door.

"What's with the human sized box?" he stood up and walked around it.

"…The answers to all your questions," I took a sip of water and opened the manual.

_Ivan Braginski: User Guide and Manual_

I did a spit take, making Alfred all wet.

"Dude!" he flicked water from his glasses, "What was that for?"

I cleared my throat, "S-sorry," I slammed the manual shut, "Why don't you go get changed?"

"Good idea," he got up and left.

_Cold War rivals? _I sunk my head. _I'm doomed for sure…_

"Who did we get this time?" Feliciano open the manual.

"You don't want to know," I facepalmed.

"Ve!" he shut the manual and started to tremble. He clung onto my good arm, "Don't let him get me!"

"Qui? {Who?}" Francis flipped open the book and had an uneasy expression on his face as well, "This probably will not turn out well."

"What the heck are you guys talking about?" Ryan sat there looking confused and annoyed.

Francis faced me, "Might as well tell him now."

I sighed, "Fine," I faced at him, "First of all, do you know Hetalia?"

"Yeah somewhat," he shrugged, "I heard of it during history class sometimes."

"Well, these guys are from the show," I gestured my good-hand to Francis, "He's _France_," I continued across the room, "He's _Italy_," I pointed to the hall, "and that was _America_."

He rubbed his neck, "So… you got 'units' of characters?"

I nodded, "I know it's weird but yes. It was an accident."

He nodded dumbly, "'Accident'… right…"

I sighed, "Don't come crying to me when you accidentally click on a pop up and got something you didn't exactly want."

"Ve~ you don't want me?" Feliciano whined.

_Err…_ "N-no, not like that; it's fine now."

"Okie dokie," he smiled.

Alfred came back, whistling his national anthem. The box started to shake.

"Oh dieu… {Oh God}" Francis backed away from it.

"Ve!" Feliciano hid behind the chair I was sitting on.

"Uhh, why is the box moving?" Ryan pointed to it with a trembling finger.

"Hey guys, who's this?" Alfred tapped on the box.

The side of the box shattered open, flicking chain and wood pieces across the room.

"Kolkolkolkolkol…"

"…No way," whispered Alfred.

Ryan and Francis joined Feliciano behind the chair. _Dude, I'm the handicapped one here! Why am I the human shield?_

The unit stepped out with an ominous air around him.

Alfred stood his ground and smirked, "Look who decided to drop by…"

"It's nice to see you too," Ivan grinned.

A cold air swept through the room, making the rest of us tremble; either by fear or by the actual coldness. _Who turned on the AC?_

A water pipe rolled out from the box above and the Russian caught it. His grin grew wider as he stared Alfred down.

The American didn't flinch, "I see you got your toy…"

"D-do something!" Francis whispered.

"Me? What can I do? I'm as scared as you guys!" I whispered back.

"What's with that freaking tall dude?" Ryan craned his neck to see past my shoulder, "He's pretty creepy."

A glass smashed. I turned back to the scene and found a flower vase broken.

I groaned, "Why guys?" _Wait, flower…_ _I had sunflowers in the backyard…_ "Feliciano…"

"Y-yes, Nana?" he peeked his head from behind the chair.

"Go to the backyard and pick some sunflowers for our 'guest'…" I swallowed as the air got cooler.

"V-ve okay…" he slipped out the front door.

"Why sunflowers?" Ryan whispered.

"He likes them for whatever reason…" answered Francis.

"Oh, by the way, _we_ landed on the moon first!" Alfred crossed his arms.

Ivan smiled at him coldly, "Well, _we_ launched the first satellite in space, drook {friend}…"

Alfred glared back. More cold air drifted by.

"Ve~ I found some!" Feliciano walked back in, holding up several sunflowers.

Ivan looked over and the flowers caught his attention. _Yes!_

Feliciano yelped in fear once Ivan turned his way and tossed the flowers to me.

I took a deep breath and went up to him. "H-hi, Ivan. I am Nana, this house's owner…"

He eyed the flowers a little more and then looked at me, "Nice to meet you," he smiled.

"A-and now your owner too…" I flinched as he put his hand up but he only petted my head.

"Good to know, little one," he kept smiling.

I held up the sunflowers, "W-welcome to the family…" I blushed at the last word. _Did I just say family?_

"That's so sweet of you, spasiba {thank you}," he took them and went to sit on the couch.

"Hey you—"

Francis grabbed Alfred before he could say anything more, "Hush mon ami americain {my American friend}."

Alfred just pouted and stood still. He shot a glance at me and I stared at him back. _He'd better behave…_

Ryan's stomach growled, "Uhh guys… can we have breakfast now?"

I turn to the grandfather clock and it read 7:45 AM. _So early... but I was kind of hungry from all of this…_

"Ve~ leave it to m—"

"Leave it to big brother Francis," the Frenchie grinned and happily left to the kitchen. _Yeah, run away from the Russian… coward._

Feliciano looked a little disappointed but shook it off immediately, "Francis makes the best omelets!"

"French food; sounds good to me," Ivan smiled and faced Alfred, "What do you think, _buddy_?"

"I'm not your buddy!" Alfred growled.

I sighed and leaned against my chair. I felt so exhausted. My shoulder was throbbing, my head was spinning, yet I couldn't help but to feel a little sense of happiness. Another unit entered my hectic life and Ryan cared enough to come over. _People really do care once you're around them long enough…_ I stared at my cast. _But that feeling won't last for long… What have I done? I sent my sister to jail… Now she seriously hates m_—

"Ow!" I smacked a hand that was poking my shoulder.

"S-sorry man. I was just curious," Ryan rubbed his hand.

I looked to the side, "Yeah yeah."

He yawned, "Are you going to be able to work for a while?"

I froze. _Crap…_ I banged my head against the chair.

"I'll take that as a _no_," he smirked, "Do you need hel—"

"I could find a job," Ivan placed his flowers in a vase. _When did he get that?_

"Really? That'll be really _helpful…_" I shot a glance at Alfred.

"Hey, I was going to look for one today!" he crossed his arms.

I sighed, "Sure you were."

"I'll find one before that commie!" Alfred glared at Ivan.

"Ve~ I don't think Russians are communists anymore," Feliciano looked up from feeding his kitty.

Alfred groaned, "Just play with your cat."

I held my head, "Great…"

Ryan snickered, "You're babysitting, huh?"

"Oh be quiet," I mumbled. _Alfred barely has a place to sleep. Where in the world is Ivan going to stay?_

"Breakfast is ready~" Francis called out from the kitchen. The food was already set at the table.

"Oh goody, food!" Ryan ran off to the dining room.

I just shook my head while everyone else followed behind him. I went to sit at my place and realize something devastating. I was shot at my right shoulder, my dominant side. _I-I could use my left hand, right? Right?_ Before I could pick up my spoon, Francis grabbed it and scooped up a piece of my omelet.

He grinned and put it up to my mouth, "Say _ah_…"

I blushed and kicked his shin under the table, "I can handle it!"

"Ow! Whatever you say, ma cherie…" he handed me the spoon.

I somewhat-happily ate my breakfast while watching everyone else fight over some muffins and the last glass of milk. _What's going to happen now..?_

* * *

><p><strong>I'm alive! Yay real chapter 10! My bad for the cliffhanger, teehee. I wanted to post earlier but… let's just say it's tricky having a roommate right now. I hope the cliffhanger's results were satisfying… <strong>

**Yes, Ivan joined the party. I don't know any Russian so I'm terribly sorry if I got some terms wrong. I used Google search (not translator) to look up common phrases. For 'friend', I guess I could have used 'comrade' but I just decided that it wasn't too appropriate for other audiences (if you didn't get that, then you're fine). I hope this chapter was good, it was meant to be a little relief from the 'bitterness' . As for Nana's state of mind, she is stable on the most part but still partly in shock (hence the parts where she kept thinking back to her sister). **

**Thank you so so much for the reviews! They motivated me to keep wanting to write (even if I couldn't get to it). Also thank you for your patience!**

**~Miracle**


	12. Chapter 11: Gentle Warmth

Gentle Warmth

"Thank you for opening up this room," Ivan went into my mother's room to get settled down.

I lightly nodded, "You're welcome…" _He needed a place to stay… and sacrifices were bound to be made… I mean he's been sleeping on the couch so he deserved a real place to stay, right?_

"How come _he_ gets his own room before me? I was here first!" Alfred pouted and watched Ivan from the doorway.

I just stared blankly into the room and clutched the heirloom's box closely to me. The memories from several nights ago flashed into my head. I felt so alone; so betrayed. _I don't know what to do now…_

"Hey? Are you listen—"

"Fermez la bouche {Shut up}," Francis smacked the American's arm.

"Ow…" Alfred rubbed his now sore limb, "But come on, it's been a while. We got to say or do something to her."

I dragged myself to my room, to retreat from the noisy bunch. I shuffled to my desk and then the closet, and before I knew it, Feliciano was tugging at my shirt.

"Ve, Nana! You have a week off from work, remember?"

"Huh..?" I looked up and realized that I was grabbing my Frosty's uniform, "Oh, right, I… forgot," I sighed and sat on my bed, "again." _It's the third day I've done that…_

"Are you okay, Nana?" Feliciano sat down next to me, "You've been forgetting a lot, ever since—"

I blew a strand of hair from my face, "I'm fine," I stared down at my cast, "Just tired, I guess…" My little cold resided but now I was just disabled and distracted._ I felt so useless…_

"I got to go to my shift now," Alfred put on his cap as he walked into _our_ room, "The hero will catch you guys later." He fixed his necktie at the mirror and left.

I let out a faint sigh as I heard the front door close. Alfred actually got a job two days ago, as a part-time police officer. The policemen from the 'incident' thought his 'bravery' would be useful in the force, and as the _hero_-character he was, didn't think twice about taking up on the opportunity. Unfortunately for him, he couldn't take on serious cases since he was still too young, but he was just happy to be working like a hero.

Feliciano glanced over at the clock and flinched, "Ve, I have to go too," he hugged me gently, "See you later, Nana."

I nodded, "Yeah, see you… Tell Mr. Ciro I said hi."

"Okie dokie, and don't be too hard on yourself, okay?" he got up from my bed.

"Okay," I mumbled.

He hesitated to leave for a moment but left anyway. I heard the door close once more.

"Ma cherie?" Francis tapped at my door.

I sighed again, "Yes..?" _Can't I have my peace?_

He peeked his head from behind the door, "Je regrette, but I have to go out and buy some supplies for le {the} restaurant."

I yawned, "Okay."

"Also, my boss wanted me to join him for lunch to talk about… some things, so I won't be back until later." _He didn't sound really eager…_

"That's too bad, but I understand…" I kept my gaze down at my cast.

"Nana…" he sighed.

"I'm fine on my own. Just go or else you might be late." I traced a name on the strip.

He just shook his head, "Well, Ivan's still going to be here so keep that in mind. Adieu {Bye}…" he gradually left and I heard the front door close for the third time.

"R-y-a-n," I rolled my eyes, "Why does that jerk want to be back in my life again. Why do I care…" I stared out my window. _He's grounded anyway…_

I decided to go to the living room and sat on the couch. I really felt useless. _I was just sitting there while everyone else was working hard! That's my job!_ I scanned the living room and saw that it was mostly clean and organized, much to both my pleasure and displeasure. _I was left with nothing to do!_ My eyes stopped at a picture frame on top of a shelf, of when my sister and I were younger. _Natsumi…_ My heart began to ache and thoughts raced through my mind. _She was going to hold a grudge forever now. Why did she have to attack her own sister? What does she think of me now? Why—_

"Hello? Is anyone there?"

I blinked and realized Ivan was sitting right next to me, waving his hand across my face. I left out a small gasp and scooted to the side. _When did he get here?_

I cleared my throat, "I-I'm sorry, I didn't realize that you walked in… How was your new room..?"

"It was very warm and comfortable. Thank you again," he smiled and patted my head.

I flinched at the contact, "You're welcome…"

He put his hand down, "I was wondering…"

I kicked at a magazine on the ground, "What?"

"What is that box? You've been holding it very close to you," he was pointing to the heirloom's box that was apparently on my lap. _Was I really keeping it with me the whole time?_

"This…" I stared at it. _Such a large responsibility almost ended my life. Did my father have to go through that? Were there more dangers approaching my way?_ "…is just something really important to me."

"You've been spacing a lot too. Did something happen before I came?" he cocked his head to the side, "I don't have anything else to do so I don't mind if it's a long story."

_Would he really care? And did he have a softer side of him? Oh well. _I opened the box and showed him the sphere, "It's a special family heirloom. It was passed onto me and I have to make sure that it will be passed onto the next generations."

"Interesting story," he patted his scarf, "This is very important to me too."

I just nodded at his comment, "My life was almost taken away several nights ago so… I guess I'm a little scarred by the event…"

He raised a brow, "Oh? What happened?"

I swallowed, "I have this sister who really wanted this sphere, and she didn't stop at anything to get it from me…" The memories from the night flashed through my head again, "…but in the end, she failed and is currently jailed… I know she was trying to kill me and all but…"

"But?" Ivan was sitting back on the couch, but he seemed to be listening attentively.

"I-I really respected her even after all these years," I let out a shaky sigh and felt tears swell in my eyes, "and now I feel very guilty for locking her away…"

"Sister, huh..?" he looked up in thought, "They are very tough to deal with."

I nodded in agreement. _That's right, he has two…_

"I'm sure things will work out eventually," he closed the box in my hands, "You just need to focus on the brighter side of life… is what Feliciano would say, right?"

I stared at the box and tears slowly fell down my cheeks. _Brighter side, huh..? Is there such a thing for me now? _Memories of my family and my sister flashed into my head. _They used to be my brighter side…_ The images blurred as my eyes were blurred by my tears, and they were gradually overshadowed by images of my units. _Were they my brighter side of life now?_ Ryan popped in too. _That jerk… those jerks…_ I closed my eyes and little streams ran down my face.

"D-did I say something wrong?" Ivan sounded flustered.

I rubbed my eyes, "N-no, not at all…" _Those guys…_ I felt a gentle warmth build up inside of me.

He got up to get something and when he came back, he was holding up a tissue box, "Here you go."

I blushed a little and took it, "Thank you…" I dried my tears and blew my nose. _Those guys… I guess they are my brighter side of life…_

Ivan sighed in relief and petted my head. _Though that might need a little getting used to…_

"You feel better now, da?" he smiled down at me.

I wiped one last tear and meekly nodded. _I actually did feel a little better… I never expected to be comforted by Ivan…_

"That's good," he put his hand down and got up again, "I was also wondering…"

I sniffed and faced him, "Yes?"

"Can I tend the sunflowers in the yard?" he timidly looked out the back window.

I couldn't help but to smile at the sight of his weaker side, "Yes you may…"

"Thank you, little one," he smiled back and went right outside.

I sighed in satisfaction and picked up a book from the table. _That same book I was trying to read before all of this… Well, I have my peace now so I suppose I could read it._

I picked up at where I left off, which wasn't far from the first page, and about an hour later, I started to feel drowsy.

_White met red, orange, black; for the rose was caught amidst a fierce brush fire. Its fellow white companion, of ice and water, dissolved into the air, leaving the precious flower alone…_

My eyelids drooped shut and I drifted off to my world of fantasy...

"Ve~ Alfred, don't eat her gelato!"

"Dude! I had to stand outside all day in this ninety degree weather!"

"Come on Alfred, be fair."

"You should all quiet down, da?"

"Shut up!"

"Ve, Alfred, shh…"

"Mes amis {My friends}, be quiet. I think she's waking up…"

I sat up and found a blanket draped over me, and my four units sitting around the dining room table. There were empty bowls of gelato, and Alfred was reaching for a large container, in which Feliciano and Francis were trying to keep away from him.

I sleepily rubbed my eyes, "What time is it..?"

"Yay, you're awake!" Feliciano ditched the table and plopped next to me, "Do you want some gelato? Mr. Ciro let me take a gallon home!"

I fixed my hair, "Maybe later…"

"You've been napping for quite a while, padrooga {friend}," Ivan glanced at the clock, "For about four hours."

"R-really?" I faced the clock and surely, it was around five.

"Wow! So you _were_ tired, huh?" Feliciano looked at me concerned.

"Have you been sleeping well at night?" Francis joined us in the living room.

"With you around, I don't think anyone can," scoffed Alfred.

"Well I have to deal with your snoring…" I mumbled.

The American scratched his head, "Touché…"

"Anyway, I've been sleeping fine… on the most part. It's just hard to sleep with a bad shoulder," I sighed.

"The Doc said your recovery time would be around 5 weeks so I'm sorry about that," Francis shrugged.

"Now now guys, let's not be depressed! Here, have some gelato," Feliciano handed me a bowl.

"She has one so can I have seconds now?" Alfred whined.

"Ve~ you already had seconds," Feliciano put the gelato container in the freezer.

"He's smarter than I thought," I heard Alfred whisper to Francis.

I ate some spoonful of the ice cream, without much luck since I'm still not used to my left hand. It was still good though. I looked over at Ivan, who was sitting at a chair by the wall, happily watching everyone. _It must suck to have everyone misunderstand him… he may seem scary but he's a really great person on the inside…_

Alfred _accidentally_ stepped on his foot on his way to the other room. I could hear a series of _kols_ emitting from the Russian.

"Ve!" _Apparently he heard too_. Feliciano clung onto my right arm.

"Ow!" I dropped the bowl on my shirt.

"I'm sorry!" Feliciano grabbed some napkins started cleaning the mess.

Francis took a napkin as well and wiped my mouth, "He missed a spot."

I blushed and looked to the side, "I-I was going to get that later anyway…"

The Frenchie chuckled and tossed the napkins away as Feliciano finished dabbing at my shirt.

"It's stained!" cried Feliciano. _Bad day to wear white, huh?_

"Don't worry; it's my fault for wearing white. I'll just go change," I got up and headed to my room.

Francis trotted behind me and smirked, "Do you need help with that too?"

"Shut it," I shut the door in his face. Once I heard his footsteps go away, I leaned against the door and sighed; not a depressed sigh but a more satisfied one. I smiled and laughed to myself. _I just need to keep going with my life… and with these guys around, I'm sure I can make it…_ I looked up. _Right, mother? Right, father?_ I felt the warmth in my heart grow, and went ahead and changed to a fresh, new shirt.

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><p><strong>Finally updated! Yay! Well, my friend is gone so I think I'll be able to update semi-regularly now. It's like my brainwriter's block disappeared once she left… weird. Anyway, yes Nana was depressed for those three days and the guys left her alone until, well today. (It's a little cheesy I guess.) Ivan comforted her while everyone was gone, isn't that sweet? (And it's not hard to believe that Alfred's a part time police, right?) The book Nana is reading… isn't a real book (as far as I know), I'm just making things up as I go. Umm what else… Oh yes. **

**I just wanted to say a huge thank you to MysticNightAngel for a really great review :) (I wanted to reply but I couldn't sooo I'm doing it here, teehee) **

**Of course, thank you to everyone else who are reviewing and following this story! **

**~This chapter's idea (where Ivan comforts Nana) was by EliteKessu (arigatou!) **

**~Still don't know Russian so please correct me if I'm wrong with a translation D:**


	13. Chapter 12: Surprises

Surprises

"So you pull it off slowly like this…"

"I see..."

"Ve~ I'm home!" Francis and I looked up as Feliciano walked through the front door.

Francis set the last shrimp down and washed his hands, "Welcome back." He decided to teach me some shrimp dishes and had just finished taking off the shells.

"Guess what, guess what?" Feliciano skipped to the kitchen counter and sat on the stool.

"What is it this time?" I sighed. _Probably something about him getting free ice cream or something…_ It's been almost two weeks and I've been gradually feeling better, both physically and mentally. I got the cast off, but my shoulder's still sore. It's just been frustrating that I couldn't work as much as the others. For both my work places, I've been on worker's compensation so I was still getting money, but it's been too long; yet my bosses told me to stay home "for a little longer" each time I showed up.

"Wait, I want everyone to hear it at once," he left the stool and ran from the living room, to my room, and back, telling Ivan and Alfred to gather at the kitchen.

"I wonder what it is," I leaned against the counter and waited for the host.

"Moi aussi {Me too}," Francis turned off the stove, "It must be something big if he wants everyone's attention."

Alfred trudged in the kitchen, scratching his bed head, "He's not going to say there's going to be pasta for dinner, is he?" He had to leave for duty early in the morning and went to take a nap when he returned home just an hour ago.

"We just have to wait and see, drook {friend}," Ivan smiled as he sat on a nearby chair. He got a job as a florist, tending the flowers, and not serving the customers. Let's just say his first day didn't go well but he eventually got the hang of it.

Feliciano came back out of breath, "Okie dokie, everyone's here..."

"What did you want to tell us?" I asked.

He pulled out a slip of paper, "You know how Mr. Ciro had a summer house in the mountains?"

We, minus Ivan, nodded.

"Well, he has another one and it's by the beach," he grinned.

_How many summer houses did he have again..? I haven't been to the beach house one for a long, long time…_

"Is that it?" Alfred yawned.

"Nope!" Feliciano looked at us happily, "He said we could use it for a week since he rented it but couldn't make it at the date." He handed me the paper and it had the address and list of things that associated with the house.

"Sounds like fun," Ivan smiled, "I've wanted to go to the beach."

"Whoa! You serious?" Alfred was suddenly out of his sleepy-trance.

"Yeah!" the Italian unit faced me, "Can we go? Please?"

I scratched my head. _Sure, I wanted to go to the beach as well but what about the other's jobs? Could they get a week off easily?_ "I don't know…"

"Please… pretty please, Nana?" begged Feliciano and Alfred.

I stepped back, "H-how about your jobs? Could you get a week off right now?"

"I already got permission from Mr. Ciro," Feliciano saluted, "You did too, Nana."

"Oh, erm, how about you two?" I faced Alfred and Francis.

"This hero only has small jobs so they could probably find someone to fill in for me," Alfred grinned, "I'll ask them right now!" He grabbed the phone and ran off to the end of the hall.

"Okay… and you, Francis?" I cocked my head to the side. _He worked on the weekends but it was still a huge job, being a gourmet chef and all…_

He smiled, "Remember how I said my boss wanted to talk to me about something a couple of weeks ago?"

I thought back and nodded.

"He said I could take a week off whenever I wanted since I've been a great support for le {the} restaurant," he wrapped his arms around my waist, "so big brother will be with you…" He rested his chin on my head.

I blushed and jabbed my elbow at him, making him fall back in pain, "I see… so it's pretty much an 'okay' from everyone, huh?"

"Ve~ Alfred's still che—"

"The hero's going to the beach house!" Alfred shouted as he ran down the hall and slammed the phone back to its carrier.

I facepalmed, "Well, it's great that everyone is able to go… but now we need to shop for things and pack and—"

Ivan put a hand on my head, "You worry too much, little one," he smiled, "Let's just have fun throughout it all."

I sighed, "Fine," _How could I relax with this bunch?_ "We'll shop starting tomorrow and leave at the end of the week." _Three days prep should be fine, right?_

Before I knew it, evening fell and dawn rose brightly into the sky. Everyone sped through breakfast, grabbed whatever money they had, and we left the house around 11.

"Wouldn't we need to stock up on food?" asked Alfred as we were going through the grocery store.

I shook my head, "Mr. Ciro has a butler at every house so we're fine on food." _He's so rich…_

"Sweet," Alfred grabbed a bag of chips for the trip, "I'm going to call him Sebastian."

"Actually, his name is Lombardi," I grabbed some sunscreen and bug spray.

"Ve~ he's Italian too?" Feliciano added some cookies to the cart.

"I think so," I turned to another isle and realized that fewer footsteps were following me, "Guys...—"

"Just one bottle, ma cherie?" Francis winked as he held up a wine bottle.

"Da, just one," Ivan had a bottle of vodka.

I looked away, "I don't know them…" I whispered to Feliciano.

"Can I get a liter bottle of coke?" Alfred gasped as he saw the two.

"That, I can excuse," I shooed him away, "but I'm not paying for those two's…"

"Ve~ can I get wine too?" Feliciano looked at me with puppy eyes.

"Oh, who am I kidding?" I shook my head in dismay, "Knock yourself out."

"Ve!" he scooted back.

"No, not literally," I sighed as I trudged on to the cashier line. _This is why I've been going grocery shopping alone or at least only with Alfred; to avoid this scenario._ I looked in the cart. _Sunscreen, bug spray, some snacks, beach chair, a Frisbee...— Wait._

I turned back to Feliciano, who was about to grab a wine bottle, "Sorry, but you can't get it."

He stopped, "Huh, why?"

"I-it's a US law… you have to be at least 21 to purchase or consume alcohol…" _I completely forgot!_

"Ve! 21? In Italy, you only have to be at least 16 to buy it, but there's no limit for drinking it," he whined.

Francis patted his head, "Big brother can buy it for you if you give moi l'argent {me the money}," he grinned. _Well, there was that tactic…_

"Yay!" Feliciano handed him couple of bills and the selected bottle.

"Next customer in line please."

I transferred the things from the cart to the belt, "Sorr—" I froze as I saw a familiar face, "R-Ryan?"

"Nana? I knew it was pretty noisy today but I didn't think it was you," he grinned and scanned my stuff.

"You work here?" I handed him a $20 bill. _He was a year older so I guess he was eligible for a job already…_

"Kind of, I'm just filling in for a friend," he handed me my change, "At least I'm out of grounding."

I put the coins away, "Yeah, you have your freedom while I'm going to be tortured for a week," I sighed and put the bags into the cart.

"Why's that?" he helped me put them in.

"I'm going to Mr. Ciro's beach house and they," I pointed my thumb at my units that were waiting by the door, "are coming with me."

"I see...—What?" he dropped a bag.

I picked it up and set it in with its kind, "I said the guys and I are going to the summer house…"

"Dude, that's not right!" he grabbed my shoulders and shook me. Some people in line stared at us.

I winced in pain and lost my footing, as if my legs were turning into jello, "H-hey…"

Someone pulled me away from him, while Ivan pushed the cart.

"We'll be leaving now," Alfred supported me up and turned to the exit. I held my right shoulder and tried to let the throbbing pass by.

"Wait!" Ryan shouted.

I looked back and faintly smiled, "You're holding up a line…"

There were about six people standing in his line, and the first person didn't look too happy about the delay. The idiot rushed to his spot and went back to work.

We dropped off the grocery items at home and went to the mall. We avoided having Francis take over this time, choosing our own swimsuits and all; something I wasn't looking too forward for. After a while, we were satisfied with our findings and returned home once again.

"Hey Nana," Alfred faced me and walked backwards. The sky was a gentle, warm pool of pink, orange, and gold; the sun was setting and shadows were growing darker and longer.

I gently massaged my sore shoulder, "What?"

"How are we getting to the beach? Is it far?" he almost crashed into a light pole.

"Umm…" I tried to think back, "It's like a 2 hour drive…"

"Drive? Dude, we don't have a car!" Alfred groaned.

"We've already discussed this," Francis hung an arm around the American, "I'm going to rent a car so we don't have to take the bus or a train."

Alfred thought for a sec, "Can I drive?"

"No!" shouted Francis, Feliciano, and I.

I looked back and saw that Ivan was walking by himself, as usual.

I slowed my pace and walked with him, "Are you excited for the trip?"

"Da," he smiled, "I admire southern islands so going to the beach should be a lot of fun."

I nodded, "With this bunch," I looked ahead of us, "I think there's going to be _too_ much fun…"

He looked down at me, "Are _you_ going to have fun?"

_Will I?_

"You need to enjoy yourself sometimes," he smiled and went to catch up with the others.

_He's right…_ I smiled at the four in front of me. _Might as well try._

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><p><strong>Time skippy chappie, I know! I didn't want to put too much events at once so I decided to do it little by little but that didn't turn out right... oh well. <strong>

**Summer beach house, should be fun, but with those guys? Hmm, I wonder. Bad Ryan for grabbing Nana's still injured shoulder (shame on him). I just had to do another significant summer thing before mine ish over (sad face…). **

**I'm hoping to update the next chapter soon! **


	14. Chapter 13: Under Waters

Under Waters

"It's the beach Nana, look!" Feliciano poked my cheek.

I gradually lifted my head from the car seat and glanced out the window. _We were here already? How long was I asleep?_ I yawned, "That's great..."

"Are you getting over your carsickness, ma cherie?" Francis asked as he drove.

_Oh right. I got carsick during long drive so I decided to sleep it off… _

"I think so," I drank some of the water I had left over for refreshment.

"How much longer?" asked Alfred; for the hundredth time during the whole trip.

I looked at the map and my watch, "About ten minutes."

"Almost, drook, almost," Ivan smiled as he gazed at the sea. I saw a hint of glisten in his eyes, marveling the view of the ocean.

Ten minutes slipped by and we drove up to a grand beach house. It was completely different than to what I remembered… _I guess he had it refurbished… he liked modern things after all…_ The traditional appearance of a brick building had transformed into those cube shaped homes.

"Whoa!" Alfred was already outside, admiring the appearance of the house, "It looks so awesome!"

"Ve~ Mr. Ciro's super rich, isn't he?" Feliciano left the car as well and Ivan followed suit.

"Impressive beach house your boss got here," Francis was in awe too.

I nodded, equally awed honestly, "W-we should unload our stuff."

"Oui, good idea," he turned off the engine and went to open the back door.

"Hey, you three, take a pause from your 'awe' moment and help us unload," I called out as I got out of the car.

"Miss Yukibara?"

I turned to the voice and found a man in about his late forties, wearing a black suit. His hair was dark brown, with hints of gray, and combed back; and he wore thin-framed glasses. My mouth hung open for a moment, "Lombardi..?"

He smiled, "Ah, you remembered me."

I couldn't help but to smile as well and ran up to him, "Of course."

He bowed his head, "It's wonderful to see you again, _ojou-sama_ {my lady}."

I blushed a little. The last time I came here was when I was about five and he treated me like a little princess. "Y-you don't need to call me that now…" _And aren't you Italian?_

He stood back up, "Oh, but it suits you very well; you've grown to be a very beautiful young lady."

I felt myself blush even more, "Anyway… I'm surprised that you're still serving here, even after ten years."

"Yes, well, I couldn't detach myself from this place you see," he straightened his suit, "I've grown too fond of both the Ciro and Yukibara residents so I couldn't leave."

"Didn't you lose hope of the Yukibaras after we stopped showing up..?" I felt really guilty there. _Lombardi was so loyal…_

"I did not," he smiled, "Master Ciro has always been talking about you so I could not forget," he grew a little quiet, "I've also heard about your current situations."

I just nodded, "I see… so…" I faced the car, where the guys were waiting, "Did he tell you about these guys?"

Lombardi looked at them as well, "Well, he did mention four other gentlemen visiting with you so we've made proper preparations."

_Gentlemen..? Yeah, right…_ "Always ahead of the game, as usual," I smiled, "Can you lead us in?"

"With pleasure, ojou-sama," he bowed and headed to the car, where he helped us unload and lead us into the grand beach house.

Lombardi helped us settle in, showed us our rooms, and introduced himself. After all the greetings and unpacking were taken care of, a clock chimed for the hour; 3:00 PM.

"Can we hit the beach now?" begged Alfred.

"Please?" Feliciano joined.

"Alright, alright, we can go to the beach," I got up from the comfy sofa and stretched, "Go get changed and—"

The two ran outside, already in their swimming trunks, leaving their clothes on the ground in front of me.

Ivan giggled as he walked by, "Impatient, da?"

"I have no idea of what just happened," I shook my head. I knelt down to pick up a shirt but Lombardi was faster.

"I will take care of these, ojou-sama. You should go enjoy the beach as well," he gestured me to the hall, where our rooms were.

"Oui, big brother wants to see Nana in her swimsuit," Francis winked at me. He had already changed as well, even wearing a pair of shades on his head.

I felt my face burn up, "Y-you just leave already!"

"Yes, yes," he grinned and left.

I sighed and looked up at Ivan, "Aren't you going too?"

"I'm not as ready as those three," he smiled shyly, "I still need to go change." He left to his room.

"Guess it's my turn as well…" I shook my head and went to my room. Even though this house has been rebuilt, my old room still seemed the same. _Was this on purpose..?_

I grabbed my swimsuit. It was a simple black, one piece suit, with a skirt at the bottom. One of the cons of living near the beach was probably that buying a decent swimsuit was tricky, since society loved to show off so much skin. _Such inappropriate people…_ I quickly changed and looked into the mirror. I decided to tie my hair up and applied some sunscreen ahead of time, just in case. I paused at my shoulder. The scar from the incident remained; a red circle, clearly visible against my pale skin, like the Japanese flag.

"It can't be helped…" I put on a light jacket.

"_Let's play…"_

"Let's play wha—" _Wait, who said that?_

"_Play with me…"_

I looked out the window and saw that the three were busy playing. _Can't be them so…_ "Ivan..? Lombardi..?"

"_Play with me…"_

_No, the voice sounded like a little girl's…_ "Is someone here?" I scanned the room and listened harder. There was no presence of another being.

"_Let's pla—"_

Someone knocked on the door and I jolted from my trance, "Y-yes?" _What the heck was that..?_

"It's me, Ivan. I'll be out there ahead of you, da."

"O-okay, have fun," I swallowed. Footsteps went away from my door.

"I-it's the heat… Yeah the heat wave's making me hallucinate," I laughed to myself, "Just need to get into the water and cool my head." I left my room, trying to keep up a calm and collected façade.

"Have fun," Lombardi smiled as he passed by me. He had returned the clothes back to their rightful places.

I stiffly nodded, "Thanks…" I went out the door before he could ask about anything. _Was there a little girl hiding in the house..?_

"Looking good, ma cherie."

I flinched as Francis swept past me. Apparently, he was waiting by the door for me.

I blushed and pulled my jacket on closer, "I-I thought you were playing with Alfred…"

He shrugged, "It got a bit childish so he busied himself with Feli instead."

I looked ahead and saw the two chasing each other with water guns. Ivan was just lounging on the beach chair, watching them play.

Francis reached his hand out at me, "Come into the sun; its gentle rays will treat you kindly," he smiled.

I hesitated for a bit but took his invite anyway.

"Would you like me to put sun scr—"

"I'm good," I cut him short. _See, just in case._

I slowly approached the water, which was beautiful and clear, thanks to a bright sunny day. As a wave pulled out, I squinted and found a small white shell. I reached to get it but water was splashed in my face.

"Got you!" cheered Alfred and he pumped his gun to refill.

"Ve~ that wasn't nice," Feliciano came up to me, "Are you okay, Nana?"

I flicked the water away, "Yeah…" I glared at Alfred, who was running away. I turned back to Feliciano, "Can I borrow that..?"

He nodded and handed it to me. I filled it up with water and chased Alfred across the sand, "Come back here!"

"You can't catch the hero!" he shouted as he ran deeper into the water.

"We'll see about that…" I mumbled. I followed him and started shooting.

He jumped aside, "Missed—" then I got him right in the face, "Hey!"

"That's what you get…" I smirked.

"Ve, guys, look out!" Feliciano was frantically waving his arms.

While the two of us were trying to figure out what he was talking about, a giant wave crashed down upon us. We drifted back to shore and I sat up, coughing up water.

"Dude…" I wiped my mouth and turned to Alfred, who tossed his glasses to Francis, "That was awesome!" He went back to the water just as another huge wave came through.

I just shook my head. _That's Alfred for you…_

"Nana! Nana! Are you okay?" Feliciano ran up to me with a towel.

I got up and wiped my face, "I think so… I forgot that ocean water was salty…"

"Ve~ salty water tastes nasty," he led me to where towels were laid out.

"You took a pretty big hit there," Ivan handed me a drink.

"Thanks," I drank the soda to wash out the salty taste in my mouth. Then, I did a double take at the Russian. _He was still wearing his scarf…_

"You left something," Francis came up to me with my jacket in hand.

I looked down and blushed. I snatched it back, "You saw nothing…"

He only smirked and set his shades on his head, "Aren't you going back to the water?"

"M-maybe later…" _I'm kind of scared to go back, honestly…_

"E' finite {It's finished}!"

We turned to where Feliciano was cheering and saw a giant pasta sculpture.

Francis shook his head, "He never ceases to amaze me…"

I nodded in agreement. _Haven't I seen that before somewhere..?_

"It looks good, Feliciano," Ivan smiled.

"Ve~" he went off to swim with Alfred. _They make pretty good friends, don't they? I mean they're both pretty immature and simple-minded and all._

I sighed and gazed at the waterscape in front of me. Since this was private property, we were the only ones here, much to my relief. The sky was clear, with the water equally clear and blue; the sand was soft and gentle to our feet; and a seaweed figure was crawling toward us. _Wait…_

"W-what is that?" I whispered.

"Je ne sais pas mais {I don't know but} it looks gross," Francis frowned.

Ivan only giggled and went up to it. He pulled at the seaweed and threw it aside, revealing a worn out Alfred.

Feliciano came back from the water panting, "I think he swam too far and was caught in a seaweed bunch…"

I pinched the bridge of my nose, "What are we to do with him…"

"Would anyone like to have some cookies?"

Alfred shot up, "I do!" he ran up to Lombardi, who was setting a plate of sugar cookies down on a table.

"Talk about fast recovery," Francis sighed.

"Yeah…" I went to join him at the table, before he would devour all of the snacks.

"Did you have a good swim, ojou-sama?" Lombardi handed me a cookie.

"Not exactly…" I nibbled on the sweet. He made the best sugar cookies as far as I knew; even better than the ones from the bakery.

"Ve~ these are good," Feliciano smiled and had a second one.

After our little snack, Alfred declared a sand castle contest, in which Feliciano won; a swim race, in which he won; and a mini volleyball tournament, in which team Ivan and Francis won.

Alfred kicked the ball aside and we all settled down on our towels, "That's not fair commie…" he panted, "You're freaking tall!"

"It's not my fault I'm taller than a certain someone," the Russian simply replied.

"I felt like I did nothing," Feliciano laughed nervously.

"That's because Alfred and Ivan did all the work," I yawned. I sat out during the game, to make the teams equal but to also have a better view of the game.

"I should have just sat out in the middle," Francis put an arm around my shoulders, "So you wouldn't have to be alone…"

I hit him in the head with the water gun, "Anyway… it's getting pretty late. I think we should head back inside."

"What time is it?" asked Feliciano, "Because my tummy is telling me it's almost dinner."

"Sweet, your stomach has a clock for that too?" Alfred and the Italian high-fived.

"Best to go inside now, da?" Ivan folded up his chair and closed the umbrella.

"Yeah, it's almost eight," I got up and folded up my towel.

We all went back inside, cleaned up, and the guys took turn washing up.

"Miss Yukibara," Lombardi tapped on my room door as I was looking for fresh clothes to wear, "I've prepared you a bath in the other washroom so you needn't have to wait."

"Grazie {Thanks}," I called out and grabbed my clothes. Moments later, I was peacefully in the tub, which was filled with bubbles. I felt like a little kid again, taking a bubble bath. In fact, I haven't been able to relax while washing up since, well, forever. I rinsed the shampoo out of my unnecessarily long hair and reached for the conditioner.

"_Let's play..."_

I froze and looked around. _That voice again…_ "Hello..?"

_"Start."_

"Huh—" A force got hold of my head and I was suddenly dunked underwater.

* * *

><p><strong>So they finally arrived at the beach house and the butler, Lombardi, had still remained to serve there even after ten years. Nana, enthralled by seeing her old 'nanny-like' companion, gets lifted into high spirits right away; until a mysterious voice sound through the room… <strong>

**That sounded like a summary you'll find on a book cover, wow.**

**I feel like I'm lacking on Ivan-ness; I guess since I'm not too used to him (Off to research and observation…). **

**The idea of using "ojou-sama" was from my sister, who keeps calling me that for some reason… **

**The beach scenes were a bit rushed I guess. I just wanted to get to the mystery part so bad! OTL I shall work on my presentation better next time...  
><strong>

**So, who's this mysterious girl? Hmmm…. to be continued~**


	15. Chapter 14: News

News

I gasped for breath as I forced my head out of the water. I darted my eyes from side to side, trying to grasp at what had just happened. _This has officially gotten creepy…_

The voice giggled, _"Fun."_

_Fun? What part of that was fun?_ My heart was beating rapidly. _I needed to get out of here._

The shower suddenly turned on, raining hot water onto my cold skin, "Hey!" I jumped out and pulled on a bathrobe. I scanned the room again but my vision was blurred by the steam emitting from the hot shower.

"_Play with me."_

I felt myself trembling, "W-why?" The lights started to flicker on and off.

"_Play!"_ The bath water was rippling.

"I think I'm good…" I grabbed the door knob. _Am I going crazy? It's the steam, isn't it?_

"_Don't leave me."_ The shower head started to move and pointed towards me.

"Bye!" I ran out, only to have slipped on a bar of soap, and crashed into Feliciano.

"Ve~ what are you doing, Nana?" he lifted his head but soon blushed at my messy appearance.

Despite the awkwardness, fear took over and I clung onto him, "This house is haunted…"

"H-haunted?" he trembled too, "How?"

"I heard a little girl's voice and that showerhead was trying to attack me…" I pointed in the room.

He looked in, "W-what do you mean?"

I followed his gaze and saw that it was back in its place and the water was calm. _W-what..?_

"Ve~ I think you were in the steam for too long," he smiled.

I stared in the room in disbelief. _I swear it was moving…_

He helped me up, "You should get dressed soon; it's almost time for dinner."

I blushed and nodded, "Okay…"

He skipped down the hall and headed to where I guessed was the kitchen.

I crept back into the bathroom and picked up my clothes. Everything was calm and quiet, as if nothing happened. I sighed and left for my room.

"_Pause," _the voice whispered.

I froze as I closed the door behind me. _What's going on, seriously?_

"_Game paused._"

"Paused..?" I repeated.

There was no response back.

"H-hello?" Only silence returned. _I guess it's done for the night…_

I quickly changed and dried my hair enough so it wouldn't be dripping wet. I took a deep breath and headed to the dining room.

"Miss Yukibara," Lombardi waved me over, "Sir Ciro is on the phone and wishes to speak with you."

_I wonder what's up?_ I held the phone to my ear, "Hello?"

"_Nana? How's everything over there?"_

"Peachy… everyone seemed to have enjoyed their first day though," I glanced over to the table where they were eating.

"_That's good to hear."_

"Yes… so did you need to tell me something?" I sat on the nearby stool.

"_Si… umm…"_

"Mr. Ciro..?" _Must be bad…_

"_Well you know how I said I rented the house for a week?"_

"Yes."

"_There was a mistake and it turned out to be for a weekend, not a week…" _

"Oh…" _Well, I wouldn't have to be around the haunted house for long._

"_I'm very sorry about that." _I heard him sigh from the other side.

"Oh no, it's okay for me. I just don't know how the others are going to take it," I glanced over at the table again, "Is that all?"

"_Si, pretty much… I hope you enjoy the rest of your stay." _He hung up_. _

I returned the phone back to its carrier and sighed. _How was I supposed to tell them?_

I joined the guys at the table- Alfred and Feliciano were halfway done with their meals, Francis was staring at Alfred in disgust, and Ivan was calmly eating like nothing unusual was going on.

"Hello Nana," Ivan wiped his mouth as I sat down at my place.

"Hi…" I took a sip of water. _Should I be direct or beat around the bush..? _

"Is something the matter, ma cherie?" Francis cocked his head to the side.

I poked at a cherry tomato in my salad, "Well…"

Feliciano swallowed whatever food that was in his mouth, "Ve~ is it about the moving shower?"

Ivan adjusted his scarf he was still wearing this whole time, "Moving shower?"

"Dude, that's a bit creepy…" Alfred mumbled. _At least finish your food like Feliciano…_

"What moving shower?" Francis raised a brow.

"Err… that's nothing; I think I was just going crazy," I laughed nervously.

"You are probably just tired from your trip, ojou-sama," Lombardi gave me a reassuring smile and refilled my glass.

"I guess so—anyway," I shook my head, "That's not what I was going—"

"Hey guys!" Alfred pulled out a piece of paper with boxes and scribbles all over it, "Check it out, I wrote out our activity schedule for the whole week!"

I felt my eye twitch. _Schedule for the whole week..? This was going to be harder than I thought…_

"Ve~ that's great Alfred," Feliciano scooted over to see it, "We're breaking watermelons tomorrow?"

"Yep," Alfred point upward, "The hero goes first!"

"Bien sur {Of course}," Francis sighed.

Ivan turned back to me, "What were you going to say, drooga?"

"Erm… well… I was just thinking how the units weren't coming in weekly," I ate some of the smoked salmon to avoid more talking.

"Now that you mention it," Francis thought back, "it has been two weeks, non?"

"I wonder what happened to Mr. Mark?" Feliciano stacked up his plates.

"The dude's probably on vacation too," Alfred sat back and patted his stomach.

"Or something might have happened to him," Ivan began cutting his fish.

I choked on the fish, "Did you—"

"Of course not," he giggled, "I was just tossing ideas."

I sighed in relief, "Okay then…" _Where is that guy? Not that I really cared but it's something to think about, right?_

"The hero's going to go watch some TV now," Alfred got up and stretched.

_Crap…_ "Wai—"

"Ve~ and I'll be in the kitchen with Lombardi," Feliciano cleared his and Alfred's dishes and skipped over to the kitchen.

I facepalmed and sighed. _Too late now…_

"Is something the matter?" Francis put an arm around my chair.

"Well…"

Eleven o'clock came around and we all decided to head to bed.

"Dude, that's so not fair…" Alfred mumbled as he tore up his schedule.

"I'm sorry," I shrugged.

"It's not your fault," Feliciano patted my back, "Buonanotte {good night} ~."

"'Night…" I yawned and bid good night to the rest. I had eventually told them about the renting mistake, and as I thought, Alfred and Feliciano didn't take the news very well. Francis understood the situation and Ivan seemed to have taken the news just fine… I hoped.

I dragged my tired self to bed and let the night drift by. No distractions, no noises, no inanimate objects moving; just peace and quiet. Also, the room was to me only, finally. No snoring Alfred.

"Happy Sunday!"

"Ve~ Good morning."

"You guys are being too loud…"

"I think we should just let them do what they want. It is the last day and all."

I rolled to the side and peeked at the clock. _9:00…_ _I could sleep in, right?_ I let out a satisfied sigh and closed my eyes again.

"Breakfast!" someone slammed opened my door and pounced on my bed.

"Ve~ Alfred, leave her alone…"

He jumped on my bed, "Wake up, sleepyhead."

"Let me sleep…" I mumbled. I grabbed a pillow and put it over my head.

"Wake up, wake up, wake up," he kept jumping.

I felt myself inch closer and closer to the edge, "Cut it out; go eat without me," I scooted back to the center.

"You're going to miss the most awesome summer/beach day!" he did one big jump and I flew off the edge.

"Whoa!" I braced for impact to the ground but someone caught me midway.

"Hey, be gentler to the sleeping beauty," Francis set me down. I blushed and pulled away from him.

"She wouldn't wake up," Alfred whined and hopped off my bed.

"She could do whatever she wants," the Frenchie led him out the door.

When the loud American left, I sat on my bed and murmured, "Thanks…"

Francis winked at me, "Anytime, ma cherie." He left the room as well.

_Well, I was pretty much wide awake now. Might as well get ready for breakfast… and a long day…_

After our hearty breakfast of waffles and scrambled eggs, we all headed out to the beach again: Alfred wanted to try wakeboarding, Feliciano wanted to swim, Ivan wanted to enjoy his time, and Francis wanted to stalk me.

"You don't need to follow me around, do you?" I picked up a shell.

"I just wanted to make sure that you wouldn't be caught in a crashing wave again," he grinned.

"Don't you have things you want to do?" I found another shell; broken like the rest.

"I already am," he picked up a perfectly shaped shell and added it to my bucket.

I felt myself blush, "Stalker…"

"Call me anything you want, Nana."

I felt him lean to me but I kicked the water to his face. _Creeper…_

He only chuckled and flicked the water at me, "Cute."

I blushed even more, "Cut it—"

"Let's break some watermelons!"

"Ve~ Nana, Big Brother, come on!"

"L-let's go," I hurried to the porch where newspapers and a giant watermelon were laid out. _I'm sorry Francis, but I can't stand close contacts…_

Once everyone got together, Alfred grabbed a giant wooden stick while Francis blindfolded him. The rest of us stood back and prepared for impact.

"Alright, prepare yourself fruit! 'Cause the hero's coming at you!" he swung directly down at the fruit, but the watermelon jerked to the side.

I raised a brow. _How did that happen..?_

"Ve~ try again!" Feliciano cheered.

Alfred swung down, at the exactly right point but the watermelon jerked aside once again, "Dude!"

"Bad aim, mon ami," Francis scoffed.

The American repositioned himself and swung again, missing once more.

_Is the 'voice' playing with him now?_ I kept watching as the watermelon slid more and more to the side.

"This is getting stupid!" Alfred pulled off his blindfold and faced the fruit, "Prepare to die…"

"Ve~ what about our turns?"

"Not until after I break this thing…" he swung the stick but the watermelon moved aside.

I heard Ivan giggling and realized he was holding a fishing line. I squinted and followed the string, which led to the watermelon. _That explained a lot…_

"I'm done," Alfred mumbled and tossed the stick to Feliciano.

"Ve~" Once he was blindfolded, he managed to hit the watermelon but was only able to bruise it.

I lightly clapped, "Good job."

"Grazie!" he smiled and passed the stick to Francis.

"Let Big Brother show you how it's done," he went up and Alfred blindfolded him.

_Hmm…_ I went to Ivan and whispered to his ear. He nodded in agreement and handed me the string. I sat down nonchalantly and as Francis was swinging down, I jerked at the string, making him miss.

"You missed!" Alfred shouted.

"That's odd…" I heard him mutter. He tried again and I repeated my prank.

Two more tries later, he gave up and Ivan went up. I decided it would be a bad idea to play with him so I left the string alone.

"Here I go," he smiled and held the stick above his head.

I scooted to where Feliciano and Alfred were.

"I bet he's going to miss…" Alfred whispered to me.

_Splat_. Watermelon guts flew everywhere, the shell and all. I saw Alfred gape in disbelief but soon recovered.

"It's okay, I'm American," he laughed his usual loud laugh.

"That didn't even make sense," I flicked the juice from my face.

Lombardi properly cut up the watermelon and we enjoyed what was left of the fruit. Afterwards, we went fishing, diving, and eventually walking around the nearby shops.

I felt like I was back to my younger self, back when I last came here, back when I had my family with me. I also felt a hint of homesickness, since it's been too long since I've went far away from home.

"Ve~ how does this look?" Feliciano had on a straw summer hat.

I smiled at him, "It looks great on you."

"Yay! Sir, sir, I would like to buy this," he skipped over to the counter.

"Hey, could we grab a bite before we get back?" I heard Alfred's stomach growl.

"Sure," I looked around, "See any good places?"

He pointed to the right, "Over there!"

Francis looked in the direction, "Erm you're not talking about that McDo, are you?"

"What's wrong with it?" he started to head over there once Feliciano was done with his purchase.

"Let's just go," Ivan smiled and followed.

"Whatever you say," Francis shrugged and tagged along.

"Ve~ I wonder what toy will be there," Feliciano put on his hat and walked ahead with the others.

I decided to drag behind. I looked at the four guys in front of me; all unique in their own ways, all of different nationalities, all with different personalities. They randomly showed up and because of that, my life had changed dramatically in just a short period of time. Sure, they could get a bit annoying, but aside from that, it was comforting to know that other people were there for me; especially since I've been isolated after all this time. I didn't like to believe in fate or things like that but…

I looked up at the bright, blue sky, "Thank you." I smiled.

"Come on, Nana," Feliciano grinned and took my hand, "You're going to get lost!"

_Could I be truly happy again through them?_ Only time will tell.

_Also, where was that mysterious voice from?_

* * *

><p><em><strong>Pause.<strong>_

**Yeah, sugary ending for the chapter. I decided not to pack everything I have planned into one chapter so it shall be two parts (I think). **

**So, haunted house or Nana going crazy? What do you think? **

**And Francis creeper or Nana's a reject? What do you think? **

**Teehee… Anyway, I'm starting school pretty soon so I'm hoping to update one last time before then (Weds). Then after that… who knows when I'll be updating. My goal would be every weekend but I can't promise you that~ (You may stop reading from here) **

* * *

><p><strong>Hello <strong>_**hop-step-jump-shugoshugo**_**. **

**I couldn't reach you through PM soo I decided to write out here. Thank you for your sweet review! ^^**

**I will make sure to improve on Ivan and that joke was very funny, thanks. **

**As for your favors, I'll see what I can do ^^. Let's just say your character will show up sometime after this summer house arc. And yes, you may write a manual fic. You don't really need permission so knock yourself out :3 Just let LolliDictator know and she'll add you on her list (=more publicity). **

* * *

><p><strong>Always, Thank you for all the reviews, story alerts, and favorites! <strong>


	16. Chapter 15: Promise

Promise

"Ghost!"

Alfred and I dashed down the hall and into the main room, where Francis was napping on the couch, Ivan watching some kind of TV show, and Feliciano helping Lombardi serve tea. We cowered behind the couch, trying to catch our breaths.

"What is wrong with you two..?" Francis rubbed sleep out of his eyes.

Alfred pointed a trembling finger at my opened door, "T-t-t-there was a freakin' ghost in there!"

"Did you watch a scary movie again, Alfred?" Ivan giggled. There were suspenseful music and ear piercing screams sounding from the TV so obviously he was watching some sort of horror film.

"H-he's telling the truth," I tried to calm my rapidly pounding heart, "I saw it too…"

"Ve!" Feliciano hid behind Lombardi, who was pouring tea into the cups.

"What? Tu aussi {You too}?" Francis shook his head, "You three are crazy. There's no such thing as ghosts."

"But but but but…" Feliciano peeked out from behind the butler, "Then why is there a floating sheet over there..?"

Alfred and I slowly looked back and shrieked as we saw it advance toward us. We cowered behind Francis.

_Quick flashback at what had happened: I was packing up my things after dinner, and as I was clearing my bed, the voice returned. It had said "unpause" and my bed sheet floated into the air, eventually shaping itself like a ghost. Unfortunately for him, Alfred came in at about the same time, seeing the "ghost" as well. The voice started laughing maniacally for whatever reason and the American and I fled the room. _Fear had taken over my common sense.

"Oh mon dieu {Oh god}…" Francis backed up, "This isn't one of your pranks, is it, Alfred?"

"No way dude!" Alfred was trembling as he hid behind me.

"It's the spirit that's been haunting me the whole time we've been here…" _I had to tell them eventually, right? _

Francis looked down at me, "So the moving showerhead…"

I nodded, "It was real…"

"_Play."_

"Sebastian, do something!" shouted Alfred. _Has he been watching Bl*ck B*tler or what?_

"H-he left," Feliciano joined Alfred in hiding behind me.

"What? Why?" I looked around and groaned. _Why did he leave at a time like this?_

The sheet floated about randomly; from side to side and up and down. Giggling followed each pause in its movement. _That giggling… _

"Hello little ghost," Ivan went up to it. _Yes, go Ivan, he can do anything…_

"_Play with me_."

"I would like to but you're scaring my friends so," he pulled off the sheet, "you should leave now, da?"

"_New game_."

"New game..?" I couldn't help but to have a bad feeling about this.

Ivan's precious scarf slipped off and began snaking around the room.  
>"I wouldn't do that if I were you, podruga," Ivan smiled maliciously.<p>

_Hey, it's Ivan without his scarf… Now wasn't the time to focus on that!_ There was no figure so it's obviously some spirit or an actual ghost. Either way, why haunt us?

"What should we do..?" whispered Francis, "I don't want to interfere…"

"Hero, do something," I hissed at Alfred.

"T-the hero's on vacation?" he laughed quietly.

There was a sudden thud and we turned our heads back to the scene.

"Kolkolkolkolkol…"

We gasped as we saw Ivan tied up to a chair by his own scarf.

The voice giggled, probably in triumph.

"Now it's done it…" Alfred groaned, "It's some godmoding ghost!"

"Ve… is that the right word for it?" Feliciano asked.

"Dude! It held down the big guy," Alfred swallowed, "No one can do that easily besides his creepy little sister… and _me_ of course."

Francis just rolled his eyes at the last bit, "Someone wouldn't happen to have a plan, would they?"

"We're doomed…" I scanned the room to find anything to use against it. A lamp, cushion, and tea were definitely useless. _Why do strange things keep happening to me?_

Then, a doorbell echoed throughout the large house. Everyone stood their grounds and held their breaths, too startled to move, even the little spirit. We looked at each other, unsure of what to do.

I swallowed, "I-I'll get it," I crept away from the room, leaving the troublesome three alone, hoping they would save themselves.

When I opened the door, I found a large coffin-shaped shadow and a figure with high collars. A clap of lightning struck down as well.

"Vampire!" I slammed the door but its foot stopped it from closing. _Another horror film moment much?_

"W-who are you calling a vampire?"

_That voice…_ I peeked my head outside, "What are you doing all the way here?"

Mark held up his usual clipboard, "Delivery."

I looked at the box closely and saw it was a regular unit box with smaller boxes on top of it.

"You seem more shaken up than usual," he lowered his collars.

"Why did you put your collars up?" I fiddled with the doorknob, "You looked like a vampire in the dark…"

He chuckled, "Well, considering we're near the beach, it was pretty windy and it was drizzling a little."

"I see," I mumbled, "Why did you come all the way here instead of waiting?"

"First of all, I was delayed with the deliveries so expect a grumpier unit than usual; and second because it was going to be grumpy, I had to deliver it was soon as possible," he shrugged, "It was a bad time for me to take a two week vacation."

_So Alfred was right, he was on vacation_. "Well… thanks for coming all the way here…" I quickly signed the form and he wheeled in the large box.

"Hey guys…" I froze as I saw the rest tied up as well. _What kind of game was that?_

"Ve~ Nana, help us!" cried Feliciano.

"Oh my…" Mark scratched his head, "I think I will be on my way now..."

"Good idea…" I led him out and waved him good bye. I turned back to the group and sighed.

"_Play. Play. Play. Play._" The 'voice' got its ghost sheet back.

"Leave us alone already!" I cried, "What do you want from us?" _And where the heck was Lombardi?_

"_Fun._"

"What fun?" I hid behind the box, "What's fun if the other person's not enjoying it at all…" I picked up the manual and read the cover.

_ARTHUR KIRKLAND: User Guide and Manual_

"…Finally someone more responsible…" I scanned through the removal section, "Which one…"

"Ma cherie, hurry and help us!"

"Kolkolkolkol…"

"Ve! The ghost is back!"

"Where's Sebastian?"

"It's Lombardi!" I shouted at Alfred. I decided to go with the second option. I swallowed and took a deep breath, "Oh say can you see..."

The box shook and faint murmurs could be heard. It said to play_, in my case sing_, "The Start-Spangled Banner" as loudly as you can and your unit will shout at you and claw his way out of the box if you do not stop.

"Why are you singing my nation's anthem at a time like this?" Alfred shouted. The 'ghost' covered his mouth with duct tape it had apparently found. I was a bit thankful for that honestly.

"By the dawn's early light," Rather than to have the American sing it himself, I thought it would be safer if I did it, "What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming..." _What was next? Dang it…_

"Turn that racket down!" the box shook even more.

To avoid unnecessary bruises, I loosened the crate as I hummed the rest of the song. The side of the box slammed open and a hand grabbed me by the shirt.  
>"I told you to—" the messy blond haired Englishman paused and let me go, "I-I am terribly sorry, lass." I saw a faint blush go across his face.<p>

I smoothed out my shirt, "I-it's okay…" I put out my hand, "I'm Nana Yukibara. I'm the unit owner."

He looked pleased at my quick manners and shook my hand, "Nice to meet you."

"It's Arthur!" cried Feliciano. He squirmed around in his chair, trying to scoot away.

Arthur stared at the scene in bewilderment, "Why are they…"

I laughed nervously, "Long story…"

"No, I mean why are the two idiots here?" he pointed at Alfred and Francis.

"I'm sorry," I scratched my head, "Anyway, we're kind of in the middle of a situa—" the 'ghost' popped up in front of my face, "—tion…"

"Why is there a bloody ghost in here?" Arthur shouted as he scooted back.

"I-I don't know!" I cowered behind him.

The Englishman stared at it for a bit. He cocked his head to the side and I saw him faintly grin. He went up to it and suddenly pulled off the sheet, "Are you lost?"

"Huh?" I saw that nothing was there. I heard faint murmuring sounding from nowhere, with no physical being there to claim its voice.

"I see, I see," Arthur nodded, "You had just wanted to play with her like old times, correct?"

"Old times..?" I blindly looked around, "Who are you talking to?"

"This house's spirit," he patted the air, "Or what you would have called your 'imaginary friend'."

"Imaginary frie—" I gasped, "Mika?"

Arthur nodded, "Right. She said you made a promise that you would play with her the next time you visited."

I bit my lip, "So… she's been waiting all this time?"

He nodded again.

After my second visit here, around when I was three, I felt lonely in the huge summer house since the adults and my sister went out boating. Lombardi was still there but he was too busy with his house chores. With no one else around, I started to talk to myself and eventually, made up an imaginary friend named Mika. It was a silly thing to do now I think about it, but to know she actually existed completely blew my mind.

I lowered my head, "I'm sorry, Mika…"

She only giggled.

Arthur nodded, "She said it was fine and that the wait was worth it."

"I see…" I smiled a little, "Thanks for waiting, Mika."

She giggled again, "_Game over._"

The guys' ropes loosened up and they sighed in relief.

"She has to take her leave now," Arthur waved at the air.

I blindly waved at the air too and when it seemed like she was gone, I faced the Englishman, "Thanks."

I saw him blush again, "I-it wasn't necessarily for your sake, it was for me so I wouldn't end up like them."

"Yes, yes," I shook my head and turned to the others, "Are you guys okay?"

"Oui, merci {Yes, thank you}," Francis rubbed his wrist, which was red from a faint rope mark, "That was cruel."

Arthur laughed arrogantly, "Served you right, wanker."

Francis' mouth twitched, "What did you just call me?"

"Umm…" I decided to scoot to where Feliciano and Ivan were, "Are two you okay—"

Feliciano hug tackled me, "Ve~ Nana, it was scary!"

My head landed with a thud against the waxed wooden floor, "I-I bet it was—"

Ivan pulled me up, "Tell your friend not to touch my scarf again or there won't be any more playtime, da?" He was giving me a look and that eerie, purple aura was behind him.

"Y-yes sir…" I sighed in relief as he put me down. I heard a chair rocking back and forth and some rambles of mumbling.

Arthur joined me, looking a little off with his wrinkled uniform and messier hair, and snickered, "What is the all mighty hero up to?"

"Didn't she untie you?" I searched for the knot to untie him.

He turned his gaze towards Ivan and glared at him.

"Ah…" I pulled at the rope but it was in some complicated knot.

"Ow!"

I flinched and looked up, seeing Arthur holding the piece of tape.

"Iggy, that hurt!" whined the American.

"On second thought…" Arthur put the tape back on his mouth.

"E-enjoying yourself?" I managed to loosen up the rope.

"Being boxed up has its consequences…," the Englishman went to sit down once everyone was freed, "I am in the mood for some tea now."

"Don't get cocky now that you think you saved us," Francis mumbled and shot him a glare.

"Here is your tea, sir," Lombardi handed him a cup.

Arthur was startled by the sudden figure, "Oh, erm, thank you, chap," he accepted the teacup and took a sip.

"You are very welcome," he bowed his head and handed the rest of us the tea.

"Dude! Where were you?" Alfred set his cup aside, disliking tea for deep reasons.

"Fetching another cup since I was short one; well actually two now," he nodded at Arthur.

"This tea is well made, I will give you that," the Englishman set his cup down, "So, Nana, is this your home?"

"Umm…"

_Honestly, I wished it was._

* * *

><p><strong>Let's give Arthur a nice warm welcome. Welcome to the chaotic party!<strong>

**Now that's over with; **

**I'm pretty sure I went a bit OOC with Arthur on this one, ugh. The more I tried to fix it, the more off it kind of turned out… I know he's tsundere and all but I'm not too familiar with British talk so yeah… (time to watch the dubbed episodes again).**

**Okay Haunted Summerhouse arc has ended. The 'ghost' was Mika, Nana's imaginary friend. Don't ask where that idea came from because I have no idea~  
>(I'm sticking with reality now, no more paranormal stuff, unless I feel like it...)<br>**

**I have school, hurray -sarcasm alert-**

**Nana's turn to end her summer because mine is! But will she be going to school? Hmm… **

**Later updates, probably one every two weeks at the latest/busiest. (Patience young ones)**

**Thanks for the reviews/follows/faves! ^^ I'm surprised that I'm almost at 30… **

**Thanks a bunch! -gives everyone internet cookies-**


	17. Chapter 16: That Time of Year

That Time of Year

"_This_ is my home," I swung the front door wide open and let the guys file in.

Alfred and Feliciano dumped their luggage on the ground and plopped onto the couch.

"I missed you couch!" Alfred stretched his legs out.

"Ve~ it was cramped in there," Feliciano hugged a pillow.

"Agreed…" I sighed. The car could only hold five people max, but with Arthur and his package, we were forced to cram into the poor vehicle. Francis and Ivan sat in the front with the smaller bags, while Alfred, Feliciano, Arthur, and I managed to squeeze into the backseat. Feliciano and I took the window seats but as a result, there were complaints and arguments coming from the blonds every five minutes or so.

"Everything's out of the car now, drook," Ivan set the last of our stuff down.

Francis locked the rented car and set keys on the counter, "Longest two hours ever." He was part of some arguments but toward the end, he decided to ignore them and focus on driving.

Arthur came out from the hall, who apparently had explored the house while we were unloading.

"So… what you think?" I shrugged, "It's not grand as the other house but it's still a home."

"It's not bad but…" he looked at us and back at me, "there're only three bedrooms and six of us."

_There were six of us now..? Oh man this was getting worse than I thought…_

I shook my head, "Let's discuss this in a bit. We should unpack, get settled, and clean up."

Everyone dispersed and did what they were told. Arthur set his things in the corner, out of our way, and I went to get the mail piled up by the door.

_Bills…junk…newspaper…Flying Mint Bunny Express…—Wait what? _ I was tempted to open it but I knew there were more important things at hand. I put the special letter in my room while I set the other mail on the kitchen counter. I went back to the living room see what else was there.

"Say, Nana?"

I looked up from the cooler box I was hauling to the kitchen, "Yeah?"

Arthur was reading the newspaper, "Shouldn't you have prepared for school? It _is_ in three da—" The end was muffled from Alfred and Francis covering his mouth. He shook them off, "What in the world was that for?"

I just shook my head, "It's alright guys," I looked at Arthur, "I don't have the time or money for school. I just take night classes whenever I can. That's why I sometimes come home at 8:30." I set the cooler down and started transferring whatever was in there to the fridge and cabinets.

"Night classes? Aren't you fifteen years old though?" Arthur got up and went up to me, "I don't think a young girl like you should have dropped school for work—" he was muffled again.

_It's that time again, huh? August 30__th__… Registration would be today. I wasn't going so like I cared… _I shut the cooler and dragged it into the basement, leaving the British man in the hands of Francis and Alfred.

Once everything was put away and settled, I gathered everyone to the dining room table. I grabbed a sheet of paper and a pencil, and made a simple sketch of the house with the bedrooms.

"Okay, I personally think placement will be important…" I looked at my units carefully, "I'll take suggestions first. Arthur, since you came last, I'll ask you first."

"I do not want to room with Francis or Alfred, that's for sure," he muttered.

Alfred faked a dramatic gasp, "Hurtful! But fine."

"You know you want to…" Francis nudged Arthur, "Everyone does—" He let out a small cry.

I stuck my pencil point out from his hand and cleared my throat, "Okay, no Frenchie or Alfred." I listed Arthur in the guest room, "How about you, Ivan?"

"I'm fine with whomever," he smiled, "They'll become one with me either way."

"Err… Okay then," I decided to keep him in my mother's room, "Alfred?"

"The hero can work with anyone!" he let out a laugh, "but I want the computer."

"Of course…" I scribbled his name in my room. Honestly, I wanted to stay in my room but let's see how that will turn out. _Okay so each room is taken now… _I looked at Feliciano, "Who do you want to room with?"

Francis raised his hand, "Ma cherie, you skipped moi."

I waved him away and turned back to the Italian.

"Ve~ Arthur scares me…" Feliciano scooted closer to me, "and Ivan scares me even more…"

"What have I done to you?" the messy blond retorted, seemingly offended.

"Silly Feliciano," Ivan smiled at him, "I only wanted to be your friend."

"Ve!" he hid behind me, away from the two, "I-I want to room with Alfred…"

_I can see why…_ As I was halfway done with his name, the front door swung open and someone stumbled into the living room. We just sat there for a moment, dazed at the random event.

"What the…" I went up to the person, "Ryan..?"

"Ow, I didn't actually think the door would be unlocked," he rubbed his cheek and got up.

"Unlocked? You mean you planned to bust through the door?" _Who kept the door unlocked?_ I crossed my arms, "What do you want anyway? We were in the middle of something important…"

He fixed his straight, blond hair, "I heard you were back so—" he pointed at Arthur, "Seriously, another dude?"

"How rude," Arthur scoffed.

_Why was he so observant? _"Yes, a new unit. What's wrong with that?" I waved his attention back to me, "I repeat, what do you want?"

He sighed, "Registration's today and I didn't have anyone to go with 'cause of the last name thing so—"

"No," I turned around and returned to the table. Registration took place in four days and in different hours, for each grade and three alphabetical groups of last names. Today was for sophomores and at this time, it would be for T-Z. He was a 'T'.

"Wait, what do you mean 'no'?" he followed me into the dining room, "Don't you need to register too?"

I rolled my eyes. _No means no, baka… he doesn't know anything about me…_ "Who said I was going," I drew random lines on the paper.

He froze for a moment, "So you're not going to St. Aries? Where are you going then?"

"Hmm work and evening classes," I started drawing little stars and moons. St. Aries was the private school I used to go to since it was the closest school from here. I didn't drop out just because I needed to care for my mother; I couldn't afford the tuition for the second semester. _There was no way I had enough money for the whole year right now…_

"Dude!" he banged on the table, "You're throwing away your life! Don't you want to have fun anymore?"

_Fun, huh? Well the beach was fun. _"Just mind your own business," I looked at Francis, "You're rooming with Ivan."

"Zut {Darn it}…" he smiled nervously at his new Russian roommate. Ivan giggled and waved at him.

"Then I'll be with… Arthur," I wrote down my name and looked up at him, "Is that okay with you?"

He looked a little uneasy, "I-I suppose that's fi—"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Ryan banged on the table again, "You're rooming with a grown _guy_. How are _you_ okay with it?"

I set the pencil down and showed the paper to everyone, "Any oppositions to this arrangement?"

Ryan raised his hand.

"No? Okay," I taped it on the wall, "We should move our stuff then." _Bye bye my room… Hello guest room… _

Firm hands grabbed and turned me around, "Stop ignoring me, Nana!"

I stared to the side, "Just leave, Ryan. You don't matter to me anymore…"

"Nana!" he shook me, "At least come to registration with me…"

I looked at the others; Feliciano and Alfred were talking about something amongst themselves, Francis made a motion telling me to go, Ivan just nodded, and Arthur avoided eye contact.

I sighed, "Fine…"

Within ten minutes, the two of us were out on the street, heading to the school.

"I can't believe you're dragging me along…" I kicked at a pine cone. Since we lived in inland California, there were several conifer trees so pine cones would be lying around on the ground. They were closed; it was going to be bad weather. _Perfect for this occasion…_

"I can't believe you're living with random guys that show up on your front steps," he adjusted his string bag in which he put his registration forms and something to write with, and maybe a comb for his ID picture.

I shook my head, "Can't you drop that? It's been three months anyway."

"No way," he kicked a pine cone too, "You've been weird ever since I've been gone."

_Weird? What did he mean by weird? He was the weird one…_ "You're too overprotective. It's not like you're my older brother or my… dad…"

He stopped walking, "Nana?"

I lowered my head and kept walking, "…You're going to be stuck in a long line…" _Five more minutes…_ I heard him sigh and caught up with me.

We eventually got to the school; which was bigger than I had remembered. _Did they remodel something?_ We walked through the large metal gates and the unnecessarily tall doors. There were several students in line at the front desk and others were scattered around, either searching for their classes and lockers or meeting up with their... _friends..?_

"I'll try not to take too long," Ryan pulled out his forms, "Granny already sent in the enrollment crap so I just need to turn in these sheets like normal."

"Good for you…" I kept my head down.

"_Oh my gosh, is that Nana?" _

"_It is! Do you think she's going to come here?"_

"_Yeah right, she can't even afford decent clothes." _

I looked down at my outfit; jeans, sneakers, and a flannel top. _So what? Snobby rich people…_

"_Hey, she's with Ryan…"_

"_Do you think they're going out?"_

"_No way, he's way out of her league." _

"_I heard she's staying with a bunch of college boys."_

"_Like, seriously?"_

I felt my ears burning and I closed my eyes. _Shut up…_

"_Let's just hope she doesn't do 'that' again. Remember when she was at the rooftop?"_

"_Oh my gosh, you mean…"_

"_Yeah, we better stay clear of her if she does enroll." _

I heard Ryan get to the desk so I took a step. Without watching where I was going, I crashed into someone that was rushing by, making her drop her stuff on the ground. I heard the two girls giggling in the corner.

"I'm sorry," I knelt down and helped the girl pick up her stuff.

"No, I'm sorry! I wasn't watching where I was going," she quickly gathered her stuff and stood up.

I stacked the papers I picked up on top of her books and uniform, "Here."

"T-thank you!" she bowed her head, "I'm sorry again though."

I scratched my head. _It wasn't that bad you know?_ "Don't worry about it…"

She stared at me for a while, making me uncomfortable. I avoided the eye contact and kept my gaze on her books.

I eventually shifted on my feet, "Um… what?"

She gasped, "Oh, I'm sorry, but your eyes are really pretty."

I blinked, "My eyes..?"

"Yeah, like they're different colors," she smiled, "Are you coming to this school?"

I bit my lip and shook my head, "No… I was just here with a friend."

She frowned, "Oh, that's too bad… but it was nice meeting you," she managed to balance her stuff on one side and stuck her hand out, "I'm Kairi Tsugumi."

"Um…" I shook her hand. _Why did she bother to tell me her name if I wasn't coming here?_

She smiled and held the stuff back in both arms, "What's your name?"

From the corner of my eye I saw Ryan waiting by lockers, "I-it's not important… um bye." I just left her at that and shuffled to where Ryan was.

"New friend?" he asked with a smile.

I scoffed, "Yeah right…" _What's a friend? I just met her and it wasn't like I was going to see her again…_

Ryan went through his classes, found his locker, picked up his uniform, and after an hour, we were finally out of the school. He decided to stop by some bookstore and we split there.

I walked in my house and let out a long, heavy sigh. The guys were shuffling in and out of each other's rooms; still settling down it looked like. I decided to join them and went over to my room, which surprisingly, my stuff was untouched, as far as I knew. I saw the mail from the Flying Mint Bunny Express and decided to open it.

_Congratulations Miss Yukbara! You were entered in a sweepstake and won two tickets to this year's Anime Con!_

I blinked at the letter and pulled out the tickets from the envelope. _You're kidding me, right?_ I searched for the date. I had time to decide whether if I wanted to go or not. _Two tickets… who do I take with me if I were to go..?_

"Nana! Move your stuff already, Feli's been waiting for you!" Alfred called from the hallway.

"Okay, okay!" I shouted back. I slipped the contents back into the envelope and shoved it into my pocket. I grabbed my bed sheets, pillows, and basket of my clothes and dragged them into my _new_ room.

* * *

><p><strong>I really need to keep my chapters at minimum of 2,000 words… I feel like I type wayyyy too much orz;;; <strong>

**Anyway, Nana and co. returned home, yay. She was forced to go to registration, boo. **

**Why is Ryan so overprotective? What did Nana do while she was still in school? Is Nana going to school? To Anime con? Questions, questions. **

**(I didn't really think things thoroughly for this chapter so I apologize for any misconceptions and such.)**

**I can has feedback on character development? How are Ivan and Arthur? They're my weakest characters so I would love feedbacks/advices on how I can improve them. How about the others? I'm used to Feliciano and Francis, and Alfred is so-so. **

**Not sure when I'll update next…**

**ps. "Kairi Tsugumi" belongs to hop-step-jump-shugoshugo, fulfilling her request of having her character be in my story. (I'm sorry if you didn't like how she turned out, I'll fix it ;-;)**

**pss. Yay passed 30 reviews! (pfft compared to 8 in my other story, which started way before this one…) I'm considering posting art related to the story on my deviantart account when I reach 50 reviews… (I'm **_**that**_** grateful!) I already have one but I don't want to post it yet since it would be a somewhat-spoiler for future content. (Da: MiracleHeart14)**

**~!Thanks for the reviews! Reading them makes my day very bright!~ **


	18. Chapter 17: Futile Resistance

Futile Resistance

"I can't believe him…" I buttoned up my gray shirt and adjusted my maroon-colored collar, "Baka, why…"

"You know, I can still hear you," he murmured from behind the door.

"How could you do this to me?" I kicked at the pair of also maroon shoes that were lying nearby.

"It was for your own good," he sighed.

I rested the plaid ribbon around my neck, not bothering to tie it at all. _I hate my life right now… Why at the last minute? I would rather starve to death in this room… _

"Ma cherie, you're going to be late~" I heard Francis call from the kitchen.

I stumbled onto my bed, which was a pile of extra blankets on the ground, and covered my head with my pillow.

The door creaked open, "Nana, there's no way around this. You have to go to school."

"No…" I mumbled. _Everyone's going against me! Ryan gave Arthur the registration forms, everyone else bought my supplies, and they even paid for my whole year tuition. Why didn't they tell me until last night? _

I heard footsteps shuffle in the room, "You're barely sixteen yet. You need a proper education," Arthur attempted to pull off my pillow.

I held onto it, "I do get education!"

"Those evening classes aren't enough!" he kept pulling.

Something crashed through our window. I let go of the pillow, making the Brit fall over, and sat up. A rock slid across the floor, leaving a trail of broken glass.

"What in the world?" Arthur leapt to the window and I joined him.

Ryan waved at us, "It's time for school!" He had another rock in his hand.

"Blimey, haven't you heard of using the door?" Arthur snapped at him. He never had a liking for Ryan ever since the time he barged through the front door, three days ago.

"Are you crazy?" I shouted at him and he just shrugged, "You are definitely going to pay for the damage!"

He threw his second rock aside, "I didn't know it was going to actually break your window!"

I facepalmed and went to grab my beige messenger bag, "You want me to go to school, then fine."

Pleased, Arthur nodded, "I see you finally came to your senses."

"Yeah, yeah," I stomped out of the room and headed toward the front.

"Pardon, ma cherie, mais {but} you're forgetting your lunch," Francis swept by and handed me a lunch sack.

I blinked at it and then at him, "My lunch..?"

He smiled and nodded, "Handmade by moi." He kissed my head and opened the door for me, "Good luck~"

I felt myself blush madly when he kissed my head and I stuffed the sack in my bag.

Feliciano hugged me from behind, "Ve~ Have fun!" _L-like that's going to happen…_

Alfred stood by the door and grinned, "See ya', wouldn't want to be ya'." _Very nice thing to say…_

"Don't forget to make some friends, podrooga," Ivan waved at me from the couch. _We'll see about that…_

"Bye guys…" I stepped out and joined Ryan, who was kicking at some pebble in the grass.

He kicked at one last rock and beamed when I went up to him, "Ready?"

I sighed, "Sure…" _No! I don't want to go back… _

"Everything will be just fine," he patted my back and we started to head to school.

We were halfway there. _I can't go on… it's killing me. They don't know. I wish I told them. Maybe I could fake a stomach flu? Or maybe…_

I stopped, "Hey, Ryan..?"

He stopped talking about whatever he was talking about and turned around, "What's up?"

"I… realized I forgot my ribbon," I pointed at my neck, which was missing my plaid red bow, "I'm going to go back and get it real quick."

"But—"

I put a hand up, "You have no idea how strict the dress code is," I turned to head back; "I'll meet you at school!" I made a run for it. I didn't hear footsteps or calls behind me. He wasn't following. I could escape.

I turned at a street; I couldn't just simply return home. Arthur was bound to force me back. I took an alternate path, which ran behind the house, and fled to the park.

After about five minutes, I made it to the park and leaned against the giant isolated tree. In the distance, I heard the school bell ring for homeroom. _Lovely, I managed to ditch._

"Take that, school…" I looked up at the tree. I couldn't just be here; someone would see me and ask me why I wasn't at school.

I shrugged on my bag and reached for the lowest branch. I managed to grab hold of it and eventually climbed up the tree. I settled down on a branch high enough for me to be hidden and thick enough to support my weight for a while. _I just needed to be here for eight hours… Lord, that's a long time…_

I woke up with a startle. A bird was chirping above me. I had fallen asleep. I glanced at my watch; three hours had past. _Five more to go—_my stomach began to growl._ I didn't have breakfast so…_ I grabbed the lunch Francis had made me. I carefully unwrapped it and found egg and ham sandwiches neatly wrapped up. I felt myself blush. _When was the last time someone made me lunch..? Oka-sama… _I looked at the sky. I wondered how she was doing up there.

"Now then, you could have passed PE if you had climbed up there yourself."

I gasped at the sudden voice. I was startled out of my daze and lost balance. I fell backwards and couldn't grab another branch. I plunged onto the figure below me, making him fall over as well.

"Ow… I'm so sorry…" I pushed myself up and found myself face to face with… _Arthur?_

He rubbed his sore head; "To think that I would have become a landing cushion…" he found himself in the same mindset as me and blushed.

I got off him, "W-what are you doing here..?" I brushed off bits of bark and twig and helped him up.

He brushed himself off as well and cleared his throat, "I've gotten a call from your school earlier."

I stiffened up. _No! I forgot about the attendance thing… So close… _"I—"

He shook his head, "I'm not mad at you."

I blinked at him, "Why not..?" _People would usually get mad at situations like this, wouldn't they? Or was he extra mad and just keeping a low cover for now…?_

He looked to the side and rubbed his neck, "I… erm, should have been more considerate about your situation. Everyone had told me about how your life has been."

I wasn't sure if I was to be relieved for him letting me go or amazed that he would go through the trouble of finding me to tell me this. I took a step to grab my bag but I ended up stepping on my lunch.

He glanced over as my stomach growled again. I blushed and recoiled. _Hush stomach…_

Arthur chuckled "Now that I think about it, you'd skipped out on breakfast." He picked up my bag and handed it to me, "Let's go have something to eat."

"Umm…" I took the bag, "Thanks." _He's being super nice, was this normal? Should I be concerned? I hope it's not British food… _

"It's for my sake as well. It is lunch hour after all," he turned to head out of the park.

I hesitated for a second but decided to follow. _Was he hiding something? What did everyone tell him anyway? _

We eventually had lunch at a nearby Coco's. We had some sandwiches and decided to head home.

_School was probably over now. Alfred would be in his shift… Ivan started his shift… Francis, who knows what he's up to… Feliciano's working…_ Now I thought about it, Arthur needed a job too. _Well, with everyone working, maybe he doesn't? That might sully his dignity though. Not my place to decide. Wait, I still needed to work don't I? This is confusing…_

"Nana?"

I snapped out of my ramble of thoughts and realized I was several feet behind Arthur. I caught up with him, "My bad."

"I don't want to lose you again," he sighed and we continued home.

_Again? Did I lag behind more than once? _I needed to stop thinking to myself. I sighed and as I was gazing down the street, I saw several people from my school. I realized I was still wearing my uniform and scooted closer behind Arthur, out of their sight.

The Englishman looked at me funny, "Is something the matter?"

"I… wanted to make sure I won't lose sight of you," I faked a laugh.

I glanced over at the students again and my heart dropped when I saw a familiar face in the group. He was on crutches. He had a scar on the side of his neck. _He's doing well… out of wheelchairs, that's a relief…_ The guy caught my gaze and looked in my direction. I saw his eyes widen for a moment. I held my breath and turned away, running off, leaving Arthur behind.

_He saw me! Now I really can't go back to school! _Memories that I wanted to eradicate flowed back into my head. _Stay out…_ I rushed into my house and once I closed the door behind me, I leaned against it, trying to catch my breath.

"What good timing."

I gasped and dropped my bag, "Uhh… Hello Ryan…" I gradually took off my shoes.

He crossed his arms, "Hello, ditcher."

"Welcome back, ma cherie," Francis set a newspaper down, "Monsieur {Mr.} Surprise-Visiter decided to barge in again."

Ryan went up to me, "Why did you ditch me? I was looking for you all day!"

"I-I wasn't ready!" I casted my eyes down, "You guys just randomly decided to put me into school…"

"Why couldn't you have just taken that opportunity instead of throwing it aside, huh?" Ryan huffed, "I was so worried…"

I made a fist, "I—"

"What happened to that Nana from three years ago? The Nana that enjoyed going to school like a nerd she was." He extended a hand for my shoulder.

I slapped it away and glared at him coldy, "I can't go back, okay?" I bolted to my room, slamming and locking the door behind me. I stepped onto some leftover glass that wasn't cleaned up but I didn't care. I threw myself on my failed attempt of a bed. I stared at the ribbon on my pillow. _Red, red, red; Red's everywhere. The school color includes red, blood is red, and my memories are tinted red. Memories I tried to keep locked in the back of my head. _I closed my eyes and buried my face in the pillow.

I drifted asleep, again.

_I found myself in the middle of a field. The grass was tall but dead; the green had faded into bleached gold. A decaying oak tree stood in the middle of the sea of parched weeds. _

_Something grabbed my ankle. I kicked it away and leaped back. A hand had extended from the ground, and soon, two figures emerged from the dehydrated soil. They were deformed- skins hung loose, were missing a limb or two, and their bodies were decaying, much like the tree; a gruesome sight. They crept closer and closer to me, their movements slow but I was paralyzed in place. _

"_Oh Dear Sister…"_

_I swung around and found a third figure. It was Natsumi. She was in a straight jacket but didn't have any arms. Her usual pretty hair was a complete mess. Her face was cracked. Her wide, bloodshot eyes gave me death stares. She closed in on me as well. I ran off to the tree, but for some reason, I was slower than the three. I got cornered._

_I looked for a way to escape. The tree's branches were too fragile. There was a small opening next to Natsumi. I darted in the direction but a fourth figure appeared from nowhere, blocking my freedom. I retreated back. This one was missing legs but was 'walking' with its arms. _

_This was getting creepy. I couldn't call for help. I couldn't move. I couldn't escape. I was doomed. _

_Doomed._

_Suddenly, one of the deformed figures seized me by the shoulder and the other by my throat. I wanted to scream. Nothing came out. I trembled in terror, trying to pry them off. My heart throbbed against my chest. No help was to be found. My mouth moved but I was muted. I was shook back and forth, back and forth, back and forth…_

"Nana, snap out of it already. Wake up!"

My eyes flashed open. Arthur was shaking me awake and Feliciano stood behind him looking worried. I sat up and hugged my pillow. I couldn't stop trembling.

"Ve~ are you okay, Nana..?" Feliciano sat next to me, with his little kitten on his shoulder.

"You must have had a really bad fright," Arthur sat at the desk chair. I shifted my gaze to the clock. _How was it possible that it was nine at night when it was four earlier… I have sleep issues…_

I quivered a sigh and tried to calm myself down. My heart was still beating rapidly.

"Ve…" Feliciano hugged me, "Go bye bye little dream demons."

"I was doing some paperwork when I heard you shuffling about in your sleep," Arthur rests his elbows on the chair arms, "I called over Feliciano since I thought he would be that best at this kind of things."

"Everything will be all right," Feliciano rested his head against mine.

Arthur shifted in his seat, "Now, I know this is a bad time but about school, Nana…"

My eyes widened and I buried my face in my pillow, "Don't make me go, please…"

"But—"

"Don't make me go."

_Don't make me relive the nightmare…_

* * *

><p><strong>End. <strong>

**I wasn't sure how to end this chapter but here we go, nightmare and comfort (somewhat). I'm sorry my updates are slow. School's just being rough. I'm full of ideas so no worries~**

**So yes, Nana was forced to attend school, which she ditched (I made up her uniform from some doll dress up thing I found on deviantart). Arthur took over as guardian (without her consent), and everyone else went along and got her set for the year. Wasn't that sweet (or was it?) **

**I'm still failing at Arthur, I know. I used him as a main in the chapter for practice sooo feedback s'il vous plait~. (He was a bit OOC, I know.)**

**So, who did Nana see? Who was he? Why was she so freaked out about seeing him? **

**And will Ryan pay for the damages for her window? **

**Stay tuned.**

**ps. Thanks for the reviews and feedback! I'm glad to know I'm doing a good work so far~. Thank you for reading :) **

**ps. Longer than 2,000 words again... OTL**


	19. Chapter 18: Moonlight

Moonlight

_Pain, suffering, agony; all negative aspects of the heart. They don't disappear, they hide. They fade into whispers and disperse into the deepest chambers of the heart. You don't call for them, they come to you. They reach out to you and suffocate you until you fall into their hands. Persistent little things, but not permanent…_

"That will be $5.75."

My customer handed me a ten dollar bill. I placed the bill into the register and exchanged it to smaller bills and coins, "Your change is $4.25. Thank you for coming to Frosty's."

The mother and her five year old daughter turned to leave. The girl looked back and waved at me with a big smile; her mouth covered in chocolate ice cream.

I waved back and gave her my best smile. They left.

"Ve~ our shift's almost over," Feliciano skipped into the store, setting down some fliers. He got to store away that ridiculous ice cream mascot and received a proper uniform a few days back. He still advertised for the shop but thanks to his new appearance, a different set of customers came to our shop now.

"Yukibara! Wipe down the counters."

"Yes sir," I grabbed a towel and went to scrub both dried up and melted ice cream off the counter.

Arthur let me be excused from school for at least the first week and told me to 'think about it'; 'It' meaning whether if I really wanted to stay out of school or not. _I'd much rather work my butt off here and at the bakery, thank you very much…_

After about half an hour, Feliciano and my shifts were over. He put in a dollar to get his discounted gelato cone, and I went into the locker room to grab my stuff.

I hummed a simple tune and slammed my locker door shut, only to get my finger get jammed in it.

"Ow!" I pulled my hand back and stuck my throbbing finger in my mouth. _Why… evil locker…_

"You 'kay?"

I turned around and found Alissa tying her apron on. It was about time for her shift.

"Y-yeah, somewhat…" I examined my finger. It was throbbing and starting to bleed around the nails.

When I looked back up, she was gone. _Rude…_ I shouldered my bag and started to head out.

Alissa showed up again, with a bag of ice and napkin in hand, "Here."

"Oh, thanks," I took it and rested it on my hand. _Ah…_

She nodded.

"Well…" I headed for the door, "I have to go now so—"

"Wait."

I paused and turned to face her. _She never talked to me for this long… _"What's up?"

She gestured me to come with her. We went back into the locker room and she closed the door behind her.

_What's going on..?_ "Wha—"

"Why."

"Huh?" _Why what?_

"Why are you staying out of school?"

_Oh, that…_ "It's no big deal—"

She put a hand on my shoulder and fixed her eyes on mine. I never noticed until now but behind the navy blue framed glasses, she had pretty jade colored eyes. Even so, there was a different air to her.

"_No big deal_?" she scoffed, "Don't joke with me, Yukibara."

I hesitantly put my hand over hers, "A-are you feeling okay..?" _Did she finally snap or something? _

"Don't turn out like me, kid, trash and lost." Her hand gripped harder with each syllable.

"T-trash..? You don't seem like one to me…" _What was she talking about? Was she always like this?_

She let go of me and looked up, "Oh, little Nana…"

_Okay… she may be older than me but I was almost just as tall…_ I stumbled onto the bench and gazed up at her.

She sat down next to me, "I dropped out of high school, in the middle of my junior year…"

"O-oh…" _She didn't look like the kind that would do that… _

"It's rough out there, without a proper GED," she faced me and smiled, "I was just lucky that Ciro found me."

I sighed and stared at the ground, "Why are you telling me this..?"

"Because," she shifted my hair from my face, "I don't want you to follow the same path as me."

I kept my gaze down and mumbled, "Why do you care..?"

I heard her stand back up and fix her glasses, "Coworkers have to back each other up, no matter how distant we are," she poked my forehead, "Especially since you're my junior. I got to make sure to take care of them."

I blushed and looked to the side. _My sister said something like that before… where was she now? Locked up…_ "I-it's just really hard…"

Alissa sat back down, "Life is hard. You just have to learn to fight through your problems, whatever they are."

I fiddled with a hair strand, "I know that…"

She flicked my forehead.

"Ow!" I cried and shot a glance at her, "What was that for?"

She smirked, "There, you completed step one."

I rubbed my head, "Step one..?"

"You have to look up, and then face your problems. You can't keep looking down," she ruffled my hair and got up, "Ciro's going to be mad if I don't show up soon, plus I think your buddy is waiting out there."

"Oh, right," I stood up and fixed my hair.

She led me out and before I completely left her side, she smacked my back and winked at me, "Stay in school, kid."

_Oww… and stop calling me a kid!_ "I'll think about it… and thanks… for the little talk," I bowed my head at her and left the shop with Feliciano.

We eventually got home and as Feliciano went to lock up the bike, I unlocked the door.

"Animecon… who should I take with me..?" I set the keys on the counter and pondered in thought.

"Ve~ We're ho—"

"Shh…"

I looked to the side and found Francis putting a finger against his mouth. Arthur was napping on the couch, with a book lying against his chest.

_What does Arthur do all day anyway? I wonder—_"Francis, what are you doing?"

He was drawing a moustache and a unibrow on Arthur's face. He made the 'shush' notion again and snickered to himself.

"I… don't want to know…" I shook my head and went to my room. I grabbed a box of bandages from the desk drawer. My finger felt numb and was still bleeding.

There were newspapers and magazines on the desk. _I guess he was looking for a job—_My eye twitched at one magazine and turned away. _Okay, so yeah, time to go to the bakery…_

I changed and as I was tying my hair back, I heard a loud thud and Francis laughing his head off. I crept out of my room and peeked from hall.

"Get back here you bloody wanker!" Arthur struggled to get up, his shoes' laces apparently tied together.

Francis stood at the opposite wall of the room, "That's what you get for calling mes omlettes half good!"

Feliciano was at the dining room table, drawing something in the coloring book and talking to his kitty, Mr. Fluffy.

"There was no need to have drawn on my face!" Arthur slipped off his shoes and threw it at the Frenchie.

He ducked, "Hah, vous {you} missed—" Arthur tackled him to the ground.

_Hey hey… _"Guys!"

They didn't hear me and continued wresting each other.

I face-palmed and sighed, "I'll be going…" I bid Feliciano good bye before I left and hoped that my house wouldn't be wrecked when I got back.

"Here, lay out the strawberry bread in the display case."

"Okay," I took the tray of freshly made bread and laid the slices out behind the counter. They smelled really nice, sweet from the sugar and fresh strawberries that were used. Satisfied, I returned the tray to the kitchen.

"May I buy this cake?"

"This one?"

"Yes, please."

"Sure honey, I'll box it up for you so go around to the register in the meantime."

_That voice sounded familiar… Then again, a lot of them did…_ I took another tray from the baker and went toward the display cases by the window. I glanced to the side to see who was buying the cake and broke my pace. _It's that girl from school… the one I bumped into…_ I turned away and tried to hide my face. _Just don't make eye contact… she will recognize you if she saw your eyes…_

I bumped into the jam shelf and two jars collapsed down. I gasped and dropped the tray to catch them, making the buns roll across the ground. _I just had to make some sacrifices, didn't I? _I set the jars back in place and collected the little breads that were still safely on the tray.

"Here, looked like they wanted to run from being eaten," the girl giggled and handed me the buns she gathered.

I blushed and took them, "Thanks…" I got up quickly and lined up the still clean bread on the platter.

"Hey… didn't I meet you at school during registration?"

_Did she figure it out..?_ I swung around, keeping my head down, and headed to the kitchen.

"I'm right, aren't I?" She tugged my sleeve to stop me.

I sighed and nodded, "Yes." I turned to face her and saw that she was wearing the school uniform.

"I knew it!" she clapped in joy but soon stopped and grabbed my hand, "What happened to your finger?"

"Oh, um, just a finger jam," I pulled it back and hid it behind my back.

"Oh no," she looked worried. "I hope it will heal soon."

"Y-yeah," I forced a smile and tried to get to the kitchen.

"Wait, wait," she tugged at my sleeve again.

I sighed, "Yes?" _What does she want from me? It was only a coincidence that I met her again…_

"What's your name? You never told me last time," she smiled brightly.

_Would she leave me alone if I told her? Ehh… why not…_ "It's Nana."

"Nana!" she giggled, "I like that name. Do you remember mine?"

I blushed, "Umm…" _Ka…Kara? No… Carrie? No…_

She laughed, "It's Kairi."

"Oh yeah, Kairi…" I scratched my head. _Japanese? Maybe…_

"Miss."

Kairi went to the counter to retrieve her cake. I took the chance to retreat to the kitchen. I peered into the window and saw her shrug and leave the shop.

I slumped against the door and sighed in relief.

"Ahem," a foot was tapping in front of me.

I moved my eyes up and found my boss with her arms crossed. I swallowed, "Do I have any more goods to display right now..?" I laughed nervously.

"Be more careful," she stared at me sternly.

Then we both broke into laughter.

"Nice try, boss, trying to be one of those tough chefs…" I got up and dusted my seat.

She shrugged, "It was worth a try, but still, be more careful, okay?"

I nodded, "Yes ma'am." I cleared some scraps of dough that were leftover on the floured counter.

"Oh, Nana."

I dusted my hands, "Yes?"

"Can you lock up tonight? I have to leave for… something… early…"

I put a hand up, "I know you have a date to go to. I will lock up." _She had a bad break up two years ago and decided to start dating again… at 28 years old now and let's just say it hasn't been going well so far. _

She handed me the keys, "Thank you, hun." She left to her office to finish her paperwork.

I sighed and went back to my work as well.

My watch beeped for the hour. It was 9:00. _I should start heading back before the guys get worried…_

I stored the broom and dustpan away in the storage room. I made sure everything was organized and turned out all the lights and shut off all the machines. I grabbed my stuff and walked out, locking up the shop behind me.

_It's kind of chilly out…_ I stuffed my hands in my pant pockets and started down the street. It was really dark out, despite a full moon illuminating in the sky. Several cars passed by.

It was a long day today. First, Alissa came from nowhere telling me to stay in school and then I ran into Kairi again. I yawned. _I really hope that Francis and Arthur didn't wreck the house… and to make matters worse, Alfred or Ivan had better not joined in as well. That would cause so much chaos…_

I shivered as a cool wind blew. I waited for the crossing signal to go on, counting the cars that passed by. _Five… six… seven…_ The light flickered, allowing for crossing. I looked both ways to make sure no more cars were coming and made my way across the road. _What's tomorrow…Wednesday? Maybe I should go to the evening class since I have part time at the bakery instead of full… just to get things started. _

"Watch out!"

I flinched and before I could look back, I was roughly shoved aside. I lost balance and my head struck against the railing. In the faint moonlight, partly covered by clouds, I made out two cars that were crashed into each other. Among the wreckage a hand stuck out from behind one car, surrounded by a puddle of crimson red that was steadily growing by the second.

My eyes widened at the sight and with a heavy head, I lost myself to the dark.

* * *

><p><strong>End.<strong>

**Lesson? Never space out while crossing a street… **

**So, yeah, mainly "personal time" chapter for Nana. I admit, I was too lazy to work with the other guys… next time I will be, I promise. **

**Sudden character change in Alissa, silly boss from the bakery, meeting Kairi again, a deadly car accident; what's next to come? **

**I don't know where the thing at the beginning came from. I felt like writing something 'dark' and came up with that apparently. I should have made it part of a quote from the book Nana's been trying to read… hmm… oh well. **

**Francis pranking Arthur while he's asleep? Of course, what else would he be doing in his free time besides molesting people? **

**Ve, ve, ve I feel like I'm rambling now so I'll end this note now. **

**I feel so stressed from school. I love to write, a little retreat from the chaos. Yay~ **

**ps. Seriously, thank you soooo much for the reviews and follows! 41 reviews as of now… it's amazing ;-; I don't even know how many follows. Thanks for the character feedback too, I appreciated them so much! I feel so special…**

**pss. Kairi Tsugumi belongs to hop-step-jump-shugoshugo. **


	20. Chapter 19: You and I

You and I

The world in my head was spinning. _What's going on..?_ I felt something quivering at my side. There was crying. Someone was crying. Someone…

I opened my eyes, only to get blinded by the room's lights and blinked to adjust to them. I numbly moved my head and scanned the room. I was in the hospital; the dreadful hospital. The quivering was still at my side. I looked over and saw Feliciano sobbing in his arms. No one else was here. _Where's everyone..?_

I extended my hand and realized my arm was wrapped in bandages; those thinner ones, not the huge cast ones. I stroked his auburn hair, being careful not to touch his curl. He gradually lifted his head up and his sorrowful expression changed to one of relieve as he hugged me tightly.

"H-hey…" I smiled weakly.

"Nana!" He sobbed in my shoulder, "I was so worried! They called and they told us you were hurt and and…"

I timidly patted his back, "Calm down… I'm fine, just a little scratch…"

He sniffed, "The nice doctor man said you got a concussion and scraped your arm… That's more than a little scratch!"

I rested my head against the pillow. Surely, it was not just a 'little scratch'. Unlike the other times I struck my head, this one had an annoying constant dull pain at the side of my head.

I reached for a tissue and handed it to the weeping unit, "At least you know I'm okay, right?"

He took the tissue and blew his nose, "S-si…" He sniffed again.

"Where's everyone else?" I attempted to sit up with the weight of my headache and Feliciano heavily on me.

He started to sob some more so I handed him another tissue.

"Ve…. t-they went to see Ryan…" he wiped his eyes.

I rolled my eyes at the name, "Ryan's here too? What stupid thing did he do?" _Climbed a tree and broke his arm like when he was ten? Picked a fight with the wrong guy?_

"Save you…"

I stopped in my thoughts. _Was I hearing things?_ "Come again?"

Feliciano looked down and fumbled with the tissue in his hand, "H-he saved you…"

I felt the color slowly drain from my face. _He was the one that shoved me aside..? The one who—oh mon dieu… _I sat up completely, "Where is he?" I swung my legs to the side of the bed and grabbed Feliciano by his shoulders, "Where is he?" My head was throbbing, along with my heart, but no matter; this was far more urgent.

"H-he's in the ER!" Feliciano looked ready to burst into tears again.

"We're going with the others…" I slipped on my shoes but once I stood up, the pain in my head overwhelmed my body. I leaned back on my bed and held my head.

"Ve, take it easy, Nana…" Feliciano helped me up.

If it was any other person, I would have glared at them and told them to let me be, but to Feliciano, I couldn't. He was the first unit I got and here he is, the only one that bothered to stay with me.

I looked at him with pleading eyes, "Please..?"

"Ve…"

We eventually got to the ER's waiting area. Feliciano supported me as I walked, stopping occasionally to let the pain in my head to pass by. Francis, Arthur, Alfred, and Ivan either sat or stood against the wall, none of them looking too well.

Ivan saw Feliciano and I first, "Hello podrooga."

"Oh, ma cherie!" Francis came up to us and took Feliciano's place of supporting me, "What are you doing out of bed?"

"That baka Ryan's in the ER… why else would I be here..?" I was led to a little bench and sat down next to Arthur. I rested my head against the wall behind me and closed my eyes, letting the throbbing pass by.

He sighed, "You really ought to go back to your room, Nana."

I ignored him and turned to Alfred, "What exactly happened to Ryan?"

The self-proclaimed hero took a deep breath, "He… lost an arm, literally… and his spine got all jacked up…" He had a completely different air to him, one that was more mature and serious.

I felt faint. _He lost an arm and was at the verge of death…all because of my carelessness… I was so stupid..._

A couple of hours passed. I didn't know how we were able to sit here and wait when we didn't have patience like this before. The guys spoke very few words. Alfred and Ivan or Francis and Arthur didn't start a fight, and even Feliciano was in deep contemplation. It was an odd silence, heavy with anxiety and sorrow.

"Hey, Nana…"

I was startled by the voice and looked up at Francis, "Yeah?"

"Why do you… 'dislike' Ryan so much?"

Everyone except Arthur turned to me in question. I felt myself blush at the attention and faced away from them.

I kicked at the bench leg, "He… he's just a big jerk…"

"Comment {How}?"

I rested my head against the wall and looked down at my feet, "He just is…"

I heard him sigh. He sat next to me and stroked my hair, "You can tell us…"

I stopped kicking and shook my head, "Back in middle school—"

The ER door opened. A doctor stepped out and wiped his glasses with a cloth from his pocket. We looked at him expectantly. When he put them back on, he gave us an apologetic glance. I let out a weak gasp. _No…_

Before I was about to give up, Arthur stood up. He barged into the emergency room and the two other blondes followed behind him. Feliciano helped me up and with Ivan, the rest of us went in.

I didn't lose hope completely. The heart monitor was still going. _That's a good sign, right?_ I froze when I saw a limp body on the bed. I felt faint and sick. He had stitches along his back and arm, was hooked up to different machines, and blood was everywhere. _Everywhere…_

I turned around and slumped into the nearest person's arms. They held me up. It was a horrible sight. A horrible sight I have caused. My hand was trembling. My whole body was trembling. I closed my eyes and a blurred memory tugged at the back of my head.

_It was when we were seven. Ryan and I were playing in the jungle gym. I was terrified of heights and played in the lower section but Ryan, baka Ryan, dared to go to the top. _

"_Look at me!" he cheered in triumph. He was hanging upside down by his legs on a bar. The teacher called for us to return to the classrooms since recess was over. _

"_Ryan, we have to go!" I called to him. _

"_Whee!" he flailed his arms in the air, not hearing a word I said. _

"_Ryan!" I waved my hand at him and pointed to the classrooms, "We have to go back!"_

_He stopped and tried to get back up. He grabbed on a nearby bar and unhooked his legs but his grip wasn't tight enough and fell down, about four feet onto the ground. _

_He wasn't moving so the teacher rushed him to the hospital. He only broke his arm. He was fine after a week._

I dared to look back at him. _There's no way he would be fine after a week after this…_ A large hand covered my view. I followed the arm and realized I was huddle by Ivan. I gasped but he gave me a gentle smile. He shook his head, telling me not to force myself to look and I faced back toward him. _I didn't see this coming…_

"We're trying everything we could," the doctor finally said. "If we got to him sooner, then he would have had a better chance."

I stared at the heart monitor. The beating was getting slower and slower. Another memory tugged at my head.

"_Mama, why is papa sleeping?" I asked my mother. I was probably five then. Something was beeping in the background every five seconds or so. _

_My mother held me tight and whispered in my ear, "Papa is going to a better place, Nana… He's going to meet angels and God and finally get to relax…"_

_I gasped, "You meet them when you sleep?" I looked up at her with big, curious eyes. _

_Instead of her usual heart-warming smile, I saw a broken face. She was biting her lower lip and tears streamed down her face. _

_I blinked at her, "Mama?" _

_A continuous beep sounded from a machine. My mother buried her face in my head and cried for a long time. _

The beeping continued in my head. _Make it stop, make it stop, make it—_I shot my head up and realized that the heart monitor hooked up to Ryan went flat. A single tear rolled down my face. I heard rushed footsteps and frantic shouting behind me. I dared not to look back.

"Clear!"

"He's not recovering!"

"Hurry up!"

I dared not to look back.

I heard Feliciano weeping in the background and Francis trying to calm him down. From the corner of my eye, I saw Arthur and Alfred looking down with solemn eyes.

The rushing stopped. Complete silence filled the room. I dared not to look back. I glanced up at Ivan, who wasn't smiling anymore. He closed his eyes and gently patted my head. I dared not to look back. I dared not to look back. I… dared to look back.

There he was, lying cold on the bed. Color was lost from his already pale face. I pushed off of Ivan and staggered over to Ryan. The doctors didn't try to stop me. I knelt down by the bed. Even his energetic blond hair lost its life.

"Baka…" I rested my head against the metal frame of the bed. _It's all my fault. I wasn't paying attention. I didn't even know he was around. I decided to reject him instead of acknowledging him. When he tried to help me, I beat him down. When he did help me, he was more than beaten down. He was a fool but I was a bigger fool…_

"I'm sorry…" I muttered under my breath. Words can't bring back dead ones. Miracles only came on Christmas. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry…" With each apology, I banged my head against the bar. _Why was I so stubborn? Why was I so pathetic?_ _Why…_

Someone put their hand on my shoulder. I gazed up and found Alfred shaking his head. The hero couldn't do anything either. He knew that. That's why he was stopping me. I looked at Ryan one more time. _God help us all…_

One of the doctors raised a brow. He stepped curiously to the heart monitor and checked behind it. He held up an unplugged cord. A couple of other doctors joined him and when he put the cord into the machine, the monitor started up again. Everyone gasped and the doctors gathered around him again. Alfred pulled me back and I watched with anxious hope. The heartbeat was steadily rising. The head doctor shooed us out and we were left waiting in the hall again.

"Miss Yukibara?"

I looked up from my feet and found a nurse with her arms crossed.

"We were looking all over for you! If you were going to go out then you should have let one of us know."

"I-I'm sorry…" I looked at the ER door, "but it was important and—"

"Your bandages are unwinding! You need new ones at that. Come with me young lady." She grabbed my uninjured arm and dragged me away. I looked back at the guys for some help but they just shrugged.

I was back in bed, with freshly new bandages on my arm and took some medicine to help with my headache. I let out a deep sigh. _Ryan was going to be okay... please let that be true…_

"Who is your guardian?" the nurse asked.

"It's…" I stopped myself. _Was it Feliciano? Or did Francis replace him? Or was it Arthur since he turned in my school papers? _

Before I could finish, someone knocked on the door.

"Come in," the nurse called out. She finished writing something and told me that she will be back later for the guardian's name.

I leaned back in my pillow and sighed, expecting it to be one of the guys. "Did the doc say anything yet?"

"Doc..? Nothing besides the fact that you scraped your arm and got a concussion."

"Not me silly, about Ryan…" my voice trailed off when I heard clacking noises come toward me. _Wait, that wasn't any of the guy's voices…_ The door closed behind him and I sat up.

"Hi Nana," Kairi waved at me with a small bouquet of flowers in hand. Next to her was a tall guy on crutches. His jet black hair was swept to the side and he gave me a shy smile.

I froze in place and stared at the guy.

"K-Kyle..?" _Why was he here?_

* * *

><p><strong>This was a little hard to write, mainly the middle part… I'm a softie but I can't write emotional flashbacks. ;-; Ryan got terribly hurt… died, psyche, he's alive. I couldn't let Nana go through more deaths, for now (maybe). I never been to a hospital because of injuries so I don't know how everything works so I apologize for mistakes. I base things off of what I see on TV and I know most of those things aren't true… just didn't have anything else to rely on. I also apologize for any ooc-ness in this. I wasn't sure how the guys would respond to this whole thing. <strong>

**So, Ryan "coming back to life"… a miracle or coincidental mistake? Who's the guy on crutches? **

**Stay tuned :) **

**If anyone's wondering **_**why**_** this update's so soon (compared to my every 2 week pattern), it's because I have a question. . . and it's in a form of a poll on my profile~ (It relates to Nana and Halloween!)**

**I'll still keep my promise about 50 reviews= art related to this story on deviantART… (Oh, 50****th**** reviewer can earn a one-shot of their choice… as long as it's Hetalia or any anime listed on my profile related)**

**Okay enough advertisement. **

**Thanks for all the reviews and follows! And make sure to vote!**

**-MiracleHeart **

**ps. Kairi belongs to hop-step-jump-shugoshugo (I'm sorry, I like to use her. She will be showing up a whole lot… just sayin') **


	21. Chapter 20: Drifting Thoughts

Drifting Thoughts

"Kyle..?" I sat there dumbfounded. _Why was he here? Why was Kairi here? Wasn't it like four in the morning..? _

"See, she does remember you," Kairi giggled and playfully socked the guy in the arm.

He rubbed his arm and chuckled, "Okay, you were right." He hobbled over to the chair next to my bed, "How you been?"

Kairi set the flower bouquet on the bed stand and stood behind the chair. "Are you okay, Nana?"

"Y-yeah…" I cleared my throat and faced away from them. _Why did they bother to come see me; especially him?_

"I had no idea you two knew each other." Kairi smiled at me. She set Kyle's crutches aside so they wouldn't fall over.

He laughed softly, "She used to help me out a lot last year," his grin faded, "Until she just disappeared one day."

"Disappeared?" Kairi looked at me curiously.

"Oh right, you transferred here just this year." Kyle rubbed his neck, "Well…"

"It's nothing Tsugumi…"

Kairi and Kyle turned to me. I blushed at the attention and turned my body completely away from them, hugging my knees. "What happened in the past stays in the past…" I mumbled.

"Nana?" Kairi came over and tried to meet my eyes, "Are you feeling okay? Do you need more water? Should I get the nurse? What—"

"I think she needs some time alone," I heard Kyle tell Kairi.

"But she's…"

"Besides, it's pretty late. I think she's tired…"

"You're right but…"

"She's a strong girl. I know she'll be fine."

I blushed and burrowed my face in my arms. I heard the door open.

"Come on kids, it's way past your bedtime. We only let ya'll through 'cause you said she was an important friend."

"Come on, Kairi." I heard Kyle get onto his crutches and the sound of clacks and footsteps echoed in the room. I heard Kairi thank the nurse for letting them come and they left.

"Now, lights out for you, miss." The nurse came up to my bed and tucked me in. "I had to send your other friends home too and I told them you were gonna' be fine."

"Thank you…" I rolled to the side and faced the wall.

"Anytime sweetie." She turned out the lights and left as well.

I sighed. _Important friend, really? Don't make me laugh…_ I closed my eyes. _Ryan was going to be fine. The guys are hopefully safe at home. I should be out of here in the morning…_ I yawned. The silence in the room felt so foreign. The familiar sounds of Arthur shuffling in his bed or Alfred staying up late playing computer games were absent. The room was cold and silent. I felt so small and alone in the blank, silent room. I pulled my knees closer to my body. _I need to sleep now... drift into my wonderland…._ The last thing I heard was the rain that was starting to fall outside.

_Eerie music played; like a distorted orchestra. I opened my eyes and found myself lying in a patch of green grass. I was in the middle of some sort of dark forest. I stood up and saw that I was wearing some type of combination of a dress and an armor, with a sharpen blade in hand. There was a red spade tattooed on the back of my hand._

"_What in the world..?" I examined the sword and found splotches of red on it. I gasped when I realized that it was blood. I tried to toss the sword to the ground but my hand would not allow it; it was tightly grasping it. My body started moving on its own and my arm started to slash at the air, then whatever foliage that was in my way, then eventually shadowed bodies. _

"_Stop!" I shouted as I hacked another body to its death. My body stopped on command. I stifled a sigh and as I was trying to sheath the sword, strips of shadows emerged from the forest. They grabbed hold of me, covered my mouth, coiled around my ribs. _

_Let go! I reached out for a tree branch but eventually my whole body was engulfed by the arms of darkness. _

_My heart paused in its beating as if I had died for a second. When I came to be, I found myself standing on a small stage in the middle of some sort of town square. _

"_What just happened..?" I blindly looked around and saw people waiting, waiting for something. I glanced down at my wardrobe- dress pants, a scarf, and a blue rose pinned to my vest and blouse. This time, a blue diamond was on my hand. When did I make a costume change? I was about to jump off the stage when I lost control of my body again. _

_I walked to the center of the stage and cleared my throat. I pulled out music sheets from my pocket and started singing. I didn't want to sing. Why was I singing? The crowd cheered. Then the cheers turned into screams. When I opened my eyes after holding some note, skeletons had replaced the villagers. Horrified, I managed to shut my mouth and stepped back. My hand moved on its own again. It loaded a revolver. My eyes widened as it pointed at my head. A shot echoed through the square. I died again. I think. _

"With a twisted grin, this dying man lay breathing his last breath…"

"Did you say somethin', hun?"

I lifted my eyes open, to actual reality, I hoped. I blinked as sunlight streamed through the open window. The nurse from last night was replacing my bandages. I glanced over at the clock on the wall. _11:00 am… Wow…_

"How's your head?"

"Better…" I sat up and muffled a yawn.

"It didn't look like you slept well." The nurse tied the bandage on my arm in place and handed me some pills.

I scratched my head and took the pills. I drained the water down my throat. "How is Ryan..?"

"Worryin' about your friend before yourself," she sighed, "What to do with you. He's been slowly recovering over night. The doctor's giving him a check up so he'll probably update on ya' later."

"I see…" I stared at my sheets. _It's all my fault and because of me, he's missing out on school too… School…_ I clenched my fist. _That's it…_

Someone knocked on the door. I broke my train of thought and glanced up. Francis walked in and greeted the nurse.

"I came to pick up ma petit {my little} princess." He winked at me. I blushed and turned away.

"Perfect timing," the nurse held up a clipboard, "Just sign these papers and she'll be all set to go."

After he signed the papers, we went to visit Ryan but the doctor wouldn't let us in and told us to come back later. We left the dreadful hospital. We walked down the street from the bus stop and eventually got home.

Francis searched for the keys in his pocket. "You were quiet the whole ride, ma cherie," he found the key ring and picked out the one for the house.

I stared blankly at the door, "I know…" _What was there to talk about?_

He sighed and messed with my hair, "You think too much."

"Hey," I brushed my hair in place and gave him a look.

He only chuckled and finally unlocked the door. He let me through first and I was greeted by a tackle hug. I landed on some pillows conveniently lying on the ground.

"Ve~ Welcome home, Nana!"

"T-thanks?" I tried to pry Feliciano off. My heart was beating rapidly from the sudden attack.

Alfred grinned and helped me up. Arthur scolded Feliciano for acting too rash on someone who was just discharged from the hospital. Ivan waved at me and welcomed me home as well.

I looked back at Francis, "What's this all about?" The entire house seemed to be completely cleaned and organized. I glanced over to the dining room and saw a bunch of food set up, even rice. _When was the last time I had rice? _That was the minus of having European units- they don't exactly eat rice on a regular were little deformed riceballs piled up on a plate.

"Just a little gift from us," he smiled warmly at me. He then hugged me too.

"Ve~ me too!" Feliciano hugged me again.

"F-for what?" I felt myself blushing._ Did I miss something?_

"Don't leave the hero out!" Alfred joined them.

Another pressure added to the bunch after him. I looked up and saw Ivan.

"Come on Artie," taunted Alfred, "You're family too."

Arthur blushed a little and sighed in defeat. He joined the group hug.

_Family..?_ I closed my eyes. I wanted to shove them all away but I couldn't. The love was too much, too much at once. After a few more seconds, they finally let go.

I dropped to my knees and stared at the ground. _Finally…_

"Ve! Are you okay, Nana?" Feliciano knelt down next to me.

I nodded and closed my eyes. _Clean house? Prepared lunch? Group hug?... It's like the time when it was my mother's last birthday… I was only at the hospital overnight… _

"Hey."

I opened my eyes again and saw Alfred holding up a tissue for me. I blinked and realized that I was crying. I took the tissue and dried my tears, and blew my nose. _They would go this far for me, huh?_

He grinned and helped me up. "Let's feast!"

Everyone scrambled to the table and waited for me to come. I smiled shyly at them. _Silly guys…_ I joined them and enjoyed deformed riceballs, sandwiches, and desserts that Mr. Ciro and the bakery dropped off for me.

Few hours later, everything settled down as usual, as if nothing really happened. Only the feelings remained but everyone busied themselves with something. Alfred and Ivan left for their jobs, while Feliciano took his siesta and Arthur went out to look for jobs.

I stretched back in my chair in my room. It was only yesterday that all this happened. The bloody images kept reoccurring in my head. I sighed and decided to go out. I changed into jeans and a hoodie and went to the front door.

"Ou es-tu aller {Where are you going}?" Francis whispered across the living room. I forgot he was still home. I still wondered what he does on the weekdays when he doesn't work.

"Just getting some fresh air," I slipped on my shoes, "I'll be back soon."

"I'll go with you," he set down the newspaper and stretched.

I opened my mouth to object but decided I wanted to have some kind of company with me, "…Okay."

We walked down the street for about ten minutes, in silence. _Where to go… where to—_I looked up and realized I was walking by the school. There were some kids outside on the field. _Probably football practice…_ I turned my focus to the benches and saw a guy on crutches. _Kyle?_ The guy perked up and waved at me. _Yep…_ I hid behind Francis and we continued walking.

"Comment vas-tu {How are you}?"

I was caught off guard, "Quoi {What}?"

Francis chuckled and put an arm around my shoulders, "I love how you respond to French normally…"

I blushed, "I-it's not my fault…" _Okay, probably was since it was the only foreign language I was interested in taking… that was before I found Hetalia._

He nuzzled his nose again my hair, "Would you like to go anywhere else, ma cherie?"

I scooted out of his grasp, still blushing madly. _What's with all the affection today? Francis is Francis so that's normal for him… I suppose…_ "No, I'm out of places."

"Perfect." He peered down at his watch, "I wanted to show you something." He grinned and took me by the hand. He led me down the street, toward the park.

"What, where, huh?" I looked at our hands and then up at him. _Where are we going?_

We went past the park, past the grand tree, and climbed up a hill.

He finally let go when we got to the top. "Voila~" He swept his hand across the scene.

I cocked my head in question and looked out, "Wow…" I breathed. I walked further to the end of the little hillside. Faded images of mountains ran long the horizon, with miniaturized buildings and cars scattered about in the valleys. The sky was beautiful and clear, blue that went on and on into the distance. Butterflies danced about around the patches of flowers that dotted the hill. I took a deep breath. I felt refreshed somehow.

"I never been here or seen anything like this before…" I leaned against the wooden post on the line of fences.

Francis stood next to me and took a deep breath as well, "C'est beau, n'est-ce pas {Isn't it beautiful}?"

I nodded and gazed out into the scenery. I felt like all my worried drifted into the vast sky. I rested my chin on my bandaged arm. _I wished my mother saw this…_

"Do you feel better now, ma cherie?"

I glanced up at the Frenchie. _Is that why he took me up here?_ I smiled and turned back to the vast sky, "Sure."

He laughed softly, "That's good."

_I wish I brought a camera…_ I watched a car run along the ribbon of road. It was like a little ant crawling inside the sidewalk crack.

I felt arms wrap around my waist. I flinched and glowered at Francis. _Okay, good mood right now and all but hands off Frenchie…_

He only held me tighter and rested his head against mine. "Now…"

"Now what?" I raised my arm to elbow him.

"Do you mind telling me all that you have in mind?" he whispered.

I lowered my arm, "Why..?" _My problems are only for me to worry about…_

"You don't deserve this torment, ma cherie. You can just tell moi; I won't tell anyone else…"

I felt my ears turn red. I faced him to tell him off but he had such a look on his face that made me shut up. He was worried, like a mother that was worried when she saw her child come home with a scraped knee. I casted my eyes down at the ground and sighed.

"There's no need to strain yourself with all your worries," he put a hand on my cheek and lifted my head to face him, "Big brother's here for you."

_Big brother…? Big sister..?_ There was a throbbing in my throat. I bit my lower lip and hugged him in defeat. I was wearily. I needed someone. If he was willing to listen, then fine.

* * *

><p><strong>Pause. <strong>

**Yay I'm back! Kind of… I wasn't on hiatus or anything, just extremely busy (and a hint of lazy…) **

**Sorry if this chapter seemed jumpy. I wanted to do too many things at once again OTL. **

**Okay so recap- Ryan is recovering, Nana is out of the hospital, and Francis is being big brother again. I was sad that I couldn't post anything Halloween related in the story so I dropped some 'nightmare-ish' things in Nana's dream. . . (Sorry Nana~… and interweb cookies to those who know my reference). **

**Guess what? Real 20****th**** chapter, yay! And 56 reviews, thank you guys sooo much! As promised, I posted an art but it's not exactly related to the story. Let's just say it's to make up for Halloween. (Look up 'MiracleHeart14' on dA... or go to my profile)  
><strong>

**Again, thanks so much for supporting me. It makes writing this story a lot of fun knowing that I have an audience ^^;;. **

**Love you all~ MiracleH. **


	22. Chapter 21: Hectic Day

Hectic Day

He led me to a bench nearby the picnic area. We sat in silence for a moment while I gathered up my thoughts and nerves. I told him. I told him about my dislike for Ryan; I told him about our childhood; I told him about Kyle; I told him about my incident at school. The whole time he sat there listening patiently. No questions, only nods. I would have believed that he wasn't listening at all but I couldn't completely bring myself to that conclusion. I talked anyway. I wanted to trust him.

I let out a deep breath after I finished spurring words here and there at him. We sat in silence for a moment again. I flinched as I felt an arm go across my shoulders. He held me in a tight embrace and rested his head against mine. I felt small like the small little sister I was; and still am. I stared down at my feet. I was embarrassed but felt refreshed, felt relieved.

"Je t'aime, ma petite soeur {I love you, my little sister}…"

That was three days ago. I sighed and shook the memory aside. It kept playing in my head over and over throughout the weekend.

"Hey, you're blocking the way."

I stepped aside, "Sorry." I sighed again and looked at the gates. I was starting school today. I told myself I would. _For Ryan's sake, not mine. He's just lucky he had the same teachers as me on the most part._ I took a step, and another step, and another step, until I finally dragged myself inside the building.

_Let the torment begin._

It was probably the worst choice going to school later. You would be considered the "new kid" for the week, which meant full on attention on me. But I wasn't a "new" kid; I was a "returning" kid since I was here before. I looked at my schedule. _So math first… not so bad, I guess._

I set my pencil down and rested my chin on my hand. I felt so lucky to have my last name start with the letter 'Y'. I get to sit in the back, where no one paid attention, where no one bothered to look because all the seats were faced forward. I looked around and realized everyone was still working. The Algebra II teacher was very kind in giving us a pop quiz today. I looked at the clock. I finished the ten 'systems of an equation' problems in six minutes.

"Whoa, she's done already!" I heard the guy sitting next to me whisper to his friend. More whispers and glances began to direct toward me and I ducked my head.

"No talking during the quiz," called out the teacher. The classroom buzzed with silence again.

_Curse you evening classes with college standards…_

After I collected Ryan's make up work and notes, I walked down the hall to my next class, Chemistry. As I made my way, someone bumped into me hard, making me dropped my binder and pencils.

"Sorry," I muttered and kneeled down to pick up my things.

"Watch where you're going, newbie."

"Careful, it's Yukibara… The one who threw someone off the roof last year…"

"Whoa seriously?"

"Yeah, I heard it from this other chick that was there."

I clenched my pencils. _That's not true… What were they talking about? _ I was about to object in their faces until someone blocked my view.

"What are you all doing? Get to class or else you are going to be sent to the detention room."

_British accent? Did we get a new hall monitor?_ I got up and dusted my knees. I looked up and saw the back of the monitor's head. _Spikey blonde hair?_ The guys hurried off to their classes.

"You'd best hurry too, young lady." He didn't face me but I knew it was directed toward me.

"Y-yes sir." I scurried off into my class. _Was he..?_ _No, I was probably going crazy_.

Science wasn't very fun, especially since I was a week behind. _Who's going to be studying in the textbook all week? Me._ The teacher handed me Ryan's things and I went off to honor's English. Apparently they started a novel so I was three chapters behind. _Studying science plus reading three chapters of "Cyrano de Bergerac"; a French play… someone would be pleased._ I collected his things there as well.

The apparent rumor about me pushing someone off the school's roof had spread throughout the school like wild fire. Now I couldn't walk through the halls without people either avoiding me in fear or giving me disgusted looks. _This was really bad… who started it..? _

I went to my locker and stored away my things. The next class was PE so I didn't necessarily need anything. The locker door slammed shut as I was fixing my hair in the mirror. I retreated back and turned to the person responsible for it. He had fierce eyes and I had a feeling that I've seen him before. _I think it was one of Ryan's friends…_

"Why did you do that to Ryan?" he growled, "Why did you hurt him?

I stared at him in disbelief. _Who is doing this? Who's telling everyone lies?_ "Who told you that?"

His patience snapped and he grabbed for my collar.

"Scusi {Excuse me}~" The janitor came by between us, mopping the floor and leaving a trail of soapy water. He had auburn hair and a pitchy voice. _Feliciano..? No way… I was just tired, let's go with that… _

The guy slipped on the wet floor and fell face forward. The janitor looked back, "Oopsy, are you okay?"

I decided that it was a good time to retreat. I rushed off to the gymnasium just in time for the bell. I met with my teacher and she assigned me my uniform and locker.

The torment got worse. We were playing dodgeball and most of the balls were directed toward me. I retreated behind a group of girls who weren't paying attention to the game. I snickered quietly as they were screaming because they were getting hit one by one, but then I realized that my wall of defense was getting thinner. _Lord, someone help me…_ My wall was gone eventually and I was left in the open. There were some boys on my side but they were busy playing with their own targets so I was practically alone. I caught one of the balls that was hurling towards me and ran away from the rest. _Why me? Was it because of the rumor? The person who started it will pay… once I find them…_

"Watch out!"

I snapped out of my thoughts and found someone catch the ball for me at the last minute. I blinked and stared at the person's back. He looked back and smiled at me. _And it had to be Kyle…Wait he was in my class?_

The game of "death" ball was eventually over and it was the time for lunch. I quickly dressed back to my uniform and rushed to my hall locker. I didn't want to run into Kyle. I wasn't ready. I grabbed my bag and the lunch the guys packed me- sandwiches and cookies. I walked outside to the lunch area and overheard some group's conversation.

"Dude, the new lunch person was scary…"

"I didn't think he was that bad."

"He was _huge_!"

"And he had a big nose."

"I think he was Russian."

I stopped. _Intimidating, tall, big nosed, and Russian… Ivan..?_ I made my way to the lunch café building but a group of girls got in my way.

"E-excuse me." I strained my neck to see past them. I saw a sliver of silver blond hair. It had to be him.

"Hey, you're paying attention to the wrong thing."

I glanced over at the girls with a plain expression. They were those usual people who thought they were 'all that' and 'ruled the school', but one of them caught my attention.

"Tsugumi?" I stared at the girl standing at the back.

"Oh, you know her, Kairi?" said one of the girls in the front; I was guessing the 'leader'.

"Yes, I mean no, I mean… I don't know." She looked down guiltily.

I felt a hint of betrayal but brushed it aside. "Can I help you ladies with something?"

The 'leader' scoffed, "Who do you think you are? Going around the school freaking people out with the crap you did."

I kept my bored expression, "What crap? I did no such thing…" _Maybe I can find out who's spreading it through them…_

She smirked, "You know, like shoving people off of roofs or running them over."

I shifted my position and held my arms behind my back. "I wonder who told you that."

"I wonder too…" she glared up at me since I was about three inches taller than her.

"Hey girls, no fighting on campus!" A flash of yellow swept before my eyes. The campus monitor stood between us and shooed the girls away. The leader huffed and marched away. Kairi looked at me apologetically and followed them.

"Girls and cat fights; you got 'a break them up before letting them happen." He laughed loudly in triumph.

_That laugh…_ "Sir..?" Before he heard me, he went off to break up another fight. I sighed and went into the café. I looked over at the counter and found the usual lunch ladies. _I guess I'm just going crazy…_

I found an empty spot in the grass and ate my lunch. I lay down under the shade of the tree. I remember that this place was always deserted because people believed that it was haunted. I closed my eyes. _Haunted or not, it was always my place of peace_… I gazed at the sky. _Who was telling everyone that I was some murderer? Heck, I would be expelled if I was so where's that logic in everyone's brains? And Kairi, why was she with them? She was such a nice person… And those staffs I've run into today… I say they were more suspicious than me…_

The bell rang and I sat up. _Time for more torture…_

History wasn't too bad. Only thing that sucked was that they guys put me into an AP history class. Here I was planning to take regular classes this year. _A chapter a week, great…_ I was already a chapter behind.

The teacher gave me handouts that I've missed, "Chapter notes are due on Tuesdays so I will be expecting two chapters from you tomorrow, Yukibara."

I think I something just died in me on the inside. I bowed my head in defeat after he left to get Ryan's papers. _Looks like I'll be staying up all night…_

The bell rang and I stretched as I prepared myself for my last class- French II. _I wonder whose idea was that…_ It was the only class Ryan didn't have so I had to find the technology room later. I scanned my schedule for the room number and realized that I was going the wrong way. _So… they changed the French room this year, huh?_ I turned around and accidentally swung my messenger bag against someone.

"Ack!" He held his side and rested against the wall.

"I'm so sorry…" I reached out to him but he smacked it away and ran off. I held my hand and watched him leave. _Rude…it wasn't even that hard of a hit to start with…_

I heard someone come up behind me, "You are going to be late, young lady. Thirty seconds left."

I gasped and dashed to the French room, all the while thinking about the familiar British voice.

I sighed in relief as I sat in my seat, in time for the bell.

"Hey, are you new here?"

I turned my head to the voice and saw several girls standing by my desk. I nodded.

"Well, bienvenue {welcome} to French class." One of them smiled at me and gave me a note. Before I could ask, they hurried to their seats as the teacher came in. I slipped the note in my pocket and faced the front where the teacher was. My mouth hung open. _Are you serious..?_

"Bonjour classe~ {Hello class}". The wavy blond adjusted his glasses.

_FRANCIS? _I stared at him dumbfounded. _What was he doing here?_

The girl who gave me the note raised her hand.

"Oui, mademoiselle {Yes, miss} Rachel?"

"We have a new student aujourd'hui {today}." She looked back towards me and about ten pairs of eyes followed. I blushed and ducked my head behind my binder. _Why was he here? He didn't tell me he taught here!_

"Ah, you must be mademoiselle Nana~" I heard him come toward me. "We've been expecting you."

I peeked over my binder. _Wait, if he's here then was everyone else here too and it wasn't just me going crazy..?_

He smiled and set my binder down. "Let's give our new amie {friend} a nice warm welcome."

"Bienvenue {Welcome}!" the class hummed in unison.

_Wow, he managed to get the class cooperating- that's not the point! _

"Will you stay after class so we can help you catch up?" He winked at me.

"Oui…"

The forty-five minutes went by. The bell rang and the students filed out of the classroom, with an occasional "Au revoir {Bye}, monsieur Bonnefoy" wavering by. I remained at my seat and impatiently tapped my pencil on the desk.

He finally closed the door and turned toward me, "I know what you're thinking…"

I crossed my arms and leaned back against my chair. "Why are you _guys_ here?"

He snapped his fingers, "Oh~ you were onto us." He chuckled softly and opened the door again, "You can come in mes amis {my friends}."

Arthur, Feliciano, Ivan, and Alfred marched in, each in their little "disguises".

"Who are you calling 'friend'?" Arthur grumbled as he took off the hall monitor's vest. He crossed his arms and leaned against the board.

"Ve~ how did you know?" Feliciano took off his cap and fixed his hair.

"I bet you were being too obvious," Alfred laughed and took off his shades, "The hero was awesome so she couldn't have known it was me!"

I rocked back and forth in my chair, "I could tell by your laugh."

"Darn it!" Alfred threw off the bright yellow jacket.

Ivan giggled, "Does anyone want some food? There were a _lot_ of leftovers from today's lunch."

_I wonder why…_ I stopped rocking and set all four legs of the chair onto the ground.

"Now, answer my question," I eyed my units, "Why are you guys here?"

"The hero was totally bored."

"Ve~ Big brother Francis said it would be fun."

"I just wanted to see how school kids were like."

"The frog forced me to."

"I wanted to protect ma petite {my little} angel."

I slammed my head against the desk. _To go this far just so I'll be okay…_ "Are you guys going to be here all year..?"

"Of course not, I was just here for today!"

"Ve~ Mr. Ciro wouldn't be too happy if I did."

"I might but who knows."

"I had a rather… strange and tiring day so I will not."

"Only if you want me to."

A smile crept up my face. I wanted to be mad at them for stalking me to school but I couldn't. My day could have been worse but they stopped most of those from happening. I felt lucky to have them by my side. I decided to let it go for today. I lifted my head off the desk and stood up.

"Let's just go home guys. I'm exhausted…"

* * *

><p><strong>Oh lord, this was long. I guess school days in stories are long like in real life… <strong>

**ANYWAY, I apologize again for the late update. Thanksgiving stuff got in the way on the most part, despite the fact that I was on break for that week… I'm afraid I will be on a writing hiatus until after December 16****th**** because I need to focus on studying for my finals/midterm (whatever you people out there call it). So more waiting, sorry! OTL **

**Enough of the apologies… I was going to introduce a new unit in this chapter but I couldn't squeeze it in without breaking my words limit (yes I'm starting to set myself one, not including the author's note). At first I was planning to have it all be narration and internal thoughts of Nana going through school but I thought it'll get boring eventually so I thought of a new idea- sticking the guys into the school in their failure of disguises. On the bright side, Nana was able to avoid some verbal beating, right? **

**Aiyah, I'm so happy to be able to update again. I missed writing~ and I will again for another two weeks ;-; I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter!**

**ps. Yes, some school aspects relates to mine in real life**

**pps. Kairi Tsugumi still belongs to hop-step-jump-shugoshugo**

**ppps. Anyone wanna guess who the next unit will be?**

**pppps. Did you know it's supposed to be "pps" not "pss" ? 'Cause I clearly didn't 8D **


	23. Chapter 22: Christmas in Wonderland

Christmas in Wonderland

I tossed in my sleep. I heard murmurs around me but I wanted to ignore them. Then someone started shaking me.

I swung my arm at them, "Leave me alone."

They kept shaking me and one was poking my cheek. _Were Arthur and Feliciano trying to wake up..?_ I cringed in anger and opened one eye. I was blinded by bright light. _Was it the morning already..?_ I opened my eyes completely, only to find myself in a room of deep red, cotton, and tinsels. _What the?_

I sat up completely and was met face to face with Francis. He wore a fancy, deep red tux and a Santa hat.

He grinned, "Finally you're awake."

I rubbed sleep out of my eyes, "What are you doing in my room?" I felt something around my neck. I looked down and realized that I was in a red Santa-styled outfit. I blushed at my appearance and pulled up my sheets. "What did you do?"

He only chuckled , "I did nothing, ma cherie." _Yeah, right…_

I glanced to the side where Arthur sleeps and saw him wearing reindeer antlers. _What the..._

"Not a word!" he shouted at me, embarrassed.

I pointed at the Brit and faced Francis again, "What did you do to him?"

"Like I said before, nothing." He just smiled and took my hand. "Come on, let's not waste our day."

He dragged me out of the room and into where would be the living room, but at the same time it wasn't the living room. It was completely covered in Christmas decoration beyond recognition. I saw Feliciano and Alfred, in their pajamas, jumping around the Christmas tree that had apparently been put up. They were starting to open presents that were left under the tree. _When did I buy presents?.. I'll just say it was Finland. Yeah, Finland...I wonder if there's a Finland unit?_

"Ve~ Nana's finally awake!" Feliciano came up to me with five boxes of presents.

He handed them to me, "Buon Natale! {Merry Christmas}"

I stared at the boxes and then at him, "For me?"

He nodded and went back to his gifts- pasta, pasta, pizza, pasta, gelato, and pasta. I looked over at Alfred and he had an iPad, a hamburger plushie, and piles of American comics. _iPad..? How..?_

Ivan put his hand on my shoulder and smiled. "Open them, podrooga." He was wearing a red suit as well. _He doesn't look too bad in red... Wait what was I saying?_

I stared at the presents again and sat on the red velvet couch that I didn't know I owned. I picked one gift up. There were no tags on them so I could only guess which was from whom. I opened it and in it was a turquoise scarf. I looked up at Ivan and he nodded.

I smiled shyly at him. "Thanks..." _It was soft..._ I set it to the side and started opening the rest. There was a leather journal from Arthur, handmade ornaments from Feliciano, box of chocolate from Alfred, and a silver necklace from Francis. I thanked everyone and felt bad that I didn't get them anything.

"Ve~ Nana, can you come over here?" Feliciano was fixing a picture frame on the wall.

I got up and went to him. "What did you do-" He planted a kiss on my cheek.

My face grew hot and I jolted back. "Wha-wha-what was that for?"

He grinned and pointed at mistletoe hanging from the ceiling.

"T-that's not fair..." I looked away and tried to stop blushing. _It's normal for Italians, it's normal for Italians..._

"Oh, big brother's turn~" Francis took Feliciano's place.

"In your dreams!" I threw a scrap of tissue paper in his face and scurried into the kitchen.

"Hey! How come you don't have eggnog?" Alfred slammed the fridge shut.

I just shrugged, "I don't really like it so why would I have something I don't like?"

"So does that mean I can get rid of monsieur Bushy-Brows over here?"

"Say that again you bearded frog."

"At least I don't have antlers."

"You forced me through blackmail!"

"Now now you two; let's get along, it's the holiday season." Ivan smiled and put his arms around the two blondes.

They crossed their arms, "Fine..."

Alfred and I came out of the kitchen, "We're going eggnog shopping..."

"We should all go out!" Feliciano suggested.

I sighed. "Fine with me."

About ten minutes later, we headed out.

I froze in place. "Oh my gosh..." I couldn't believe my eyes. My heart leapt in excitement; a rare occasion for me. I ran outside into the yard, "Snow!"

"Oh, dude! This is so awesome!" Alfred joined me and grabbed a chunk of snow.

"What's so great about snow? You two act like you've never seen before in your life." Arthur stepped out, with Ivan, Francis, and Feliciano trailing behind. _Why was he still wearing the antlers..? Anyhow…_

Alfred threw a snowball in the air, "Dude! Do you know how rare is it to snow in So Cal? Even if it was the more interior region?"

"Erm… I had no idea." Arthur kicked at some by his feet. I bet Europeans like him were used to the snow but too bad for them.

I slipped and fell face down into the white blanket. It was cold and my face was tingling but it didn't matter right now. I finally got to be in snow; finally, after all these years of wishing and waiting.

I eventually got over my excitement and we went to an open store to buy eggnog and Christmas cookies. On our way back, we stopped by the park to play in the snow.

Alfred laughed heartily, "You missed commie!" He threw an abnormally large snowball at Ivan.

The Russian only smirked and dodged the projectile with ease.

Francis, Feliciano, Arthur, and I peeked from behind our shelter, a park bench.

"Ve~ this is like the time when Ivan first arrived!" Feliciano ducked down as a random snowball flew over our heads.

"Oui, but Ivan probably has the advantage now since it's a snow battle."

"And no one knows snow better than that freak show…"

"Freak show like you and your eyebrows."

"Enough about my brows already, you git!"

I just shook my head. There was a war out there but there was another battle here. Who knows, before you know it they'll start a snowball fight. My head was clobbered by a chunk of snow. _Oh wait, it started._

"Ve~ Nana, are you okay?" Feliciano dusted some of the snow off of my head.

"Yeah…" I shook the snow off as well. I watched the pairs obliterate each other with the packed crystals of water. I started to remember when my family went up to the mountains and played in the snow. My sister pounded me with snowballs but my dad was on my side and backed me up. I stifled a laugh from the thought and stared down at the white ground.

"Nana? Does your head hurt?" Feliciano cocked his head and asked in a worried tone.

I looked up into his eyes that were apparently open today. I felt myself blush a little. _Don't look away, don't look away… You need to tell him today…_

I smiled timidly at the Italian. "Thank you for you."

"Ve?" He looked confused but I laughed and turned back to the fights. _At least I told him_.

After everyone was done beating each other with spheres of frozen water, we headed home.

"We wish you a merry Christmas. We wish you a merry Christmas. We wish you a merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year~"

"Ve~ look, carolers!" Feliciano pointed at a house where there was a group of people standing at the door.

"Hey guys! We should sing too!" Alfred raised his fist in the air, "Who's up for Christmas songs tonight?"

"Me!" Feliciano raised his hand.

I unlocked the front door and let everyone inside. _This house felt so foreign… yet I could open it with my keys…_ I was starting to believe that this wasn't a dream. But I couldn't shake that feeling.

"I think I'll join you two." Ivan giggled, "It sounds like fun although I don't exactly celebrate Christmas."

Francis swept behind them, "Then big brother will join too. After all, you need a beautiful voice in a carol such as this~"

Arthur and I threw off our coats. "I will pass," we said in unison.

"Oh come on, don't be party poopers!" Alfred handed everyone in their little group song sheets.

I crossed my arms, "I don't sing."

"Me neither," Arthur walked into the kitchen and prepared himself tea, "Besides, it's annoying enough to hear your obnoxiously loud voice every day."

"Come on, mon cheri, you know you want to…" Francis smirked.

"To sing with the likes of you as well? No thank you."

"Pasta pasta, ve ve, testing testing," Feliciano cleared his throat, "This Italian's ready to go!"

"Looks like Feliciano's all set." Ivan turned to Arthur and I, "Are you sure you two don't want to join?"

"I bet Artie's scared because I can sing better than him!" Alfred started to sing his national anthem.

"Am not!" the British man growled, "And it's not even bloody Independence Day! You don't need to sing that."

"Then prove it," Francis smirked.

Arthur stood his ground for a moment but eventually gave up. The group cheered and then turned to me, who was comfortably sitting on the couch.

"No," I said curtly, "I'm not joining."

"Ve~ Please Nana, please," Feliciano pleaded. He dropped to his knees and clasped his hands together, "Please!"

"We need a feminine voice in here you know," Francis winked at me.

"But I can't sing…" I mumbled and turned away from the others.

"Who said you need to be able to? This bloody fatso can't sing at all." Arthur indicated his emphasis on Alfred.

Alfred gasped, "Who are you calling fat? You know I'm sensitive about my weight!"

Then they broke into an argument. I hugged my knees and sighed. I wasn't comfortable singing with people. I liked singing on my own, alone, isolated from other people… I looked down at my clothes. _Wait… why was I still wearing this?_ I looked up at everyone. _Why was everyone still wearing their Christmasy clothes? And how come they weren't wet or ruined from the snow at all?_ I glanced around the room. _This wasn't my home either… at the same time it was since I could use my house key to open the front door…_ I felt so confused; everything was strange to start with, even though a part of me knew this was a dream. Suddenly, Feliciano's begging and the arguments between the formal brothers started to slur together. Then it felt like the lights from the Christmas tree grew brighter and brighter, until a white flash blinded me.

When the light was gone, my eyes took a second to adjust and I realized that I was in the living room, the real one, lying on the couch. I glanced around and no presence of my units was there.

"Daijoubu {Are you okay}?"

I got startled by the sudden voice and faced the owner. My eyes widened and my jaws dropped.

"Nana-chan, you need to keep your mouth closed or else bugs will fly in." She giggled and ruffled my hair. "We were taking a family photo and you suddenly collapsed from the flash."

I couldn't believe my eyes, like when I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the snow. "M-mama..?"

"Doushitano {What's wrong}?" She knelt down beside me.

"Is that really you..?" I lifted my hand but I stopped myself. I felt afraid. It had to be a dream. She was gone and ever since then, I've had dreams where I lived a regular life. This had to be one of them. It had to be.

She placed her hand on my cheek and forehead. _Her touch felt so real…_ "You're getting a little warm… Did you catch a cold when you were playing in the snow with Natsumi?"

"Natsumi..?" _I was playing in the snow with her..?_

"She's really out of it." I heard footsteps come over. I looked up and froze again. _Papa..?_

My "mother" stood up next to him, "I wonder what the flash did to her. She's so confused…"

_It's a dream. It's a dream. It's a dream…_

"Nee {Hey}, is Nana awake?"

I gasped when I heard the voice and cowered under my blanket.

"Oh, she's awake." Natsumi came over and tugged at the blanket. "Are you feeling okay, imoto-chan {little sister}? I was starting to get a little worried."

_It's a dream. It's a dream. Please let something prove that this is all a dream…_

I heard banging at the window. I let go of the blanket, making my "sister" fall over and went toward the window. _Someone's going to save me, right?_ I stopped when I saw the familiar blonde head. _Ryan…? How's he out of the hospital..?_ I looked at him closer and realized that he was in perfect shape.

He grinned at me and started to fog up the window. With his gloved hand, he wrote "suki". I felt myself blush. _Yeah, it's a dream… Wake me up, now, please, now._

Natsumi came over, "Oh come on, why don't you let the poor boy in?" She swung the window open and it hit my head hard, knocking me out.

I lifted my head up from my desk, "No, I don't like you!"

Silence buzzed in the room, with an occasional shuffle from Arthur's bed. I blinked and rubbed my eyes. I was in my room, my regular room that I've been sharing with the Brit. I pinched myself to make sure I was awake. _Ow, ow, okay I was awake._ I looked at my desk and saw my chemistry book wide open. _That's right; I was doing my homework and was taking notes for myself…_ I looked at the clock. _2:30 AM?_ I felt my eye twitch. _If I remember right, I still had history notes to do... Then again they were due Friday so I have some time…_

I yawned. "It was all just a crazy Christmas dream…"

"Christmas? What are you talking about, aru?"

"Yeah I know, Christmas isn't until like 3 mon-" I stopped and swung my chair around.

_CHINA?_

* * *

><p><strong>Such random chapter… Yes, 3 months because this story still takes place in early September. I didn't know how to fit in a Christmas chapter so I had a choice between a random "extras" chapter or like a dream. I thought a dream would be interesting but I don't think I connected it very well. Oh well. <strong>

**Surprise! New unit! I know she said 'China' at the end instead of 'Yao' but 'Yao' seemed too foreign... Yep, new unit. China, I chose you! (/shot) **

**Well, I'm really late but Merry merry Christmas~ I hope everyone had a great time! **

**Now for two more weeks filled with chances to update the story again… Just need a plot, HMM. **

**(If anyone was confused, anything relating to Christmas was all a dream~) **

**ps. Thanks so much for the continuous reviews and follows and favorites! **


	24. Chapter 23: Tiring

Tiring

I stood up from my seat and pointed at Yao, "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, Arthur lost a bet so I'm sleeping-"

"No, not that," _Actually, that too..._ "Why are you here?"

"The guys got me out, aru." Yao yawned, "And you just woke me up with your shouting."

"Oh..." I sat back down, "Sorry." _So...a new unit..? Wait, didn't I tell the guys not to sign for me?_

"So, who are you, aru?"

I blinked at him. _Oh, right introductions._ "I'm Nana Yukibara; home and unit owner."

"Nana... Yukibara..." Yao repeated to himself. "Are you Japanese?"

I slowly nodded at him. _So what?_

"I approve then, aru." He smiled and sat criss-crossed on the bed.

"Approve..? Err, anyway, I'm sorry I wasn't there when they opened the crate..."

He waved his hand, "No problem, aru. They told me you were busy with schoolwork anyway." He glanced over at my desk, "I thought you were taking a short nap but it looks like you were in deep sleep instead."

I dropped my head, "Guilty as charged..." I faced my chair back toward my desk and looked at my chemistry notes. They looked fine as it is, that is, before I started to sleep-write and wrote random scribbles toward the end.

"Are you going to be okay, aru? It's almost three in the morning."

I shut my chemistry book and pulled out my history one. _Wait? Did I say that these notes were due on Friday...? Baka, it's due tomorrow! _I slammed my head against my desk. "I think I'll just pull an all-nighter and catch up on my sleep tomorrow..."

"You mean later?"

"Oh, yeah, right." I sighed and flipped to the first chapter. _So much to read..._

"Can't you get an exception, aru? The guys told me that it was only your first day."

"I tried but I had the luck to get the most strict history teacher on campus," I pulled out some lined paper to take notes on, "He said 'Don't expect to get laid off easily in college so no excuses'."

"That's harsh even for me, aru."

I nodded and started jotting stuff from the first paragraph of the chapter.

I heard Yao get off the bed and stand behind me. I looked up and found him looming over me.

"M-may I help you..?"

He was in deep thought, "…I could help you, aru."

"How? I only have one book and I'm pretty sure our handwritings are different."

He shook his head, "Not like that. I could at least give you tips, aru, on how to take good notes and to stay awake."

I stared at him for a bit. I didn't want help since I was used to doing things on my own but I was basically desperate right now. "…Well, okay, I guess." I slowly turned back to my book and listened as Yao shared his knowledge.

I yawned as I finished a math worksheet. I managed to get the two chapters of notes done by 4:30 thanks to Yao. _I owed him big time... Maybe I should get him a panda or Hello Kitty plushie on my way back home today…_ But I barely had two hours of sleep. I was extremely tired right now.

The bell rang for passing period and I trudged down the hall. I yawned for like the twenty-fifth time since I woke up. "This is going to be a long day-" I tripped on something and fell face forward. I decided to just lay there for a moment since I was that tired. I heard laughter around me as I sat up and rubbed the sore spot on my head.

"Clumsy."

"Blind."

"Goofball."

_Ha ha, very funny…_ I looked up to see what I could have tripped on. I frowned when I saw the 'leader' girl from the day before.

"Wow, I didn't think you would trip so easily," she sneered.

I got up and swung my bag over my shoulder. "May I help you with something?"

She rested a hand on her hip, "I think you're the one that needs help; a _lot_ of it."

I advanced toward her but the hall monitor swept past me. "All right ladies, there is absolutely no need to start something." He turned to the small crowd that had formed, "You all had better get to class now."

The girl crossed her arms, "But sir, she tried to bully me. I think you should take her away."

Arthur glanced at me and then at her. "I will handle her. Just go to your class or else you will be late."

She made a satisfied grin and walked off. I sighed and turned around to get to my class. I heard Arthur walk after me so I slowed my pace.

"I know what you're thinking but I wasn't trying to hurt her. It was more like the other way around…" I turned a corner and dodged a student rushing past me.

"I can see that." He motioned his hand to his eyebrow- I mean forehead. "Try to be more careful."

I just nodded, "I'll see you later." I went to the end of the hall and into my science class.

Arthur decided to remain as the hall monitor for the rest of the week so he could 'earn some wages to start off with before finding a proper job'. I felt relieved to know that he was around though, but I know I can't keep entrusting him to watch over me all the time. I sat down at my seat and copied the journal of the day. _If Arthur was gone then I probably would have gotten myself in trouble... Who does she think she is anyway? So annoying…_ I returned the syllabus to my teacher, not bothering to check who signed it. I went back to my seat. _Next time I see her, she's not going to be let off without some real confrontation from me…_ I yawned.

_Still a long day. _

I stretched out in the grass behind my tree. It was finally lunch time, finally time to relax for thirty-five minutes or so. I put my hands behind my head and closed my eyes. I didn't want to fall asleep though since I would probably dive right into some deep slumber.

After a while, my stomach growled and I heard someone laugh softly. I flashed my eyes right open and saw the ends of crutches plant themselves besides me. I followed them up to the owner and saw Kyle smiling down at me.

I quickly sat up and dusted any grass off of my back, "Um, hi."

"Hey," he smiled, "Is it okay if I eat here?"

_Why would you want to..?_ "Don't you have your own group to be with?"

He just shrugged and invited himself by setting down his tray and crutches.

I moved my bag to make space for him. "…Did something happen?"

He sat down and shook his head, "Nah, I was just wondering if you were okay." He started to open a packet of mayo.

I blushed a little and busied myself to opening my own lunch. "T-there's no need for you to be worried over me; I'm fine on my own."

He only laughed, "Come on, I saw you get pummeled by the dodgeball earlier."

"That's not funny! I was half asleep then…" I opened a bag of chips. When I picked one out, I saw Kyle right in front of me.

He lifted a part of my hair away from my face. "What a bruise you got there… It doesn't look like it's from the dodgeball though."

I felt myself blush even more and turned away. "I-I… just ran into a pole on my way to school."

He chuckled, "If you're that tired then I'm guessing you pulled an all-nighter doing those makeup work and homework." He started eating his sandwich.

I nodded and broke into a yawn. "…You could go now, since you know I'm okay."

He shrugged again. "I don't mind. I actually like it here better than where I'm usually at." He laughed softly. "It's much quieter."

I nibbled on my chip, "That's not it, is it?"

He paused and shook his head. _I knew it…_ He opened his mouth to say something but the bell rang. He looked over at me, "But it looks like it's going to have to wait."

"Oh well." I crumpled up my bag of chips and started to get up to throw it away, but Kyle took it and his own junk and hopped over to a nearby trashcan.

He smiled at me as he came back. "Least I could do for giving me a peaceful place to have lunch at."

I picked up my bag and tried avoiding eye contact. "You didn't need to do that…"

"I know." He picked up his backpack and crutches. "Well, I have to go. See you around."

"Sure…" _Dude! Why did he have to show up..?_ I walked off to my own class and sighed. _What's wrong with me..?_

"Ready to go home, ma cherie?" Francis stacked up his papers and put them in his bag.

French class was over; second day of school was finally over. I dumped Ryan's make up stuff along with mine into my bag. "Actually, I was thinking about seeing Ryan today…"

He glanced over at me, "Are you sure?"

I nodded. "I mean… I could at least drop off his stuff, right?"

And so I went over to the hospital. Arthur said he had some other things to take care of so he just went straight home. Francis remembered that he needed to go to a teacher meeting so he couldn't come with me.

The desk lady let me go in and I stood at the door of his room. I didn't feel nervous when I first thought about coming but now I couldn't bring myself to open the door. It's been about a week since I saw him. _How was he now? Was he getting better? What if he was awake?_

I stared at the door and recollected myself. I took a deep breath and reached for the handle. Just as I touched it, it clicked open and a doctor walked out.

He got startled, "Oh! A visitor, hello."

I was equally startled, having to jump back as a response. "Um, yes, hello. Is it okay if I go in?"

The doctor smiled warmly and nodded, "No problem."

"Thank you." I started to make my way in but the man stopped me.

"It's been a week and he still hasn't regained conscious..."

"Oh..." I looked at the curtain that was blocking my view. _Was he stuck in a coma..?_

"But," he continued, "His conditions has been improving rapidly. Faster than I have ever seen."

I faced him again, "R-really?"

He nodded, "It's like an angel's miracle work." He chuckled and left.

_An angel... So guardian angels do exist... Like how my mother told me I have one always watching over me..._ I walked into the room and peeked from behind the curtain. Just as the doctor said, Ryan looked much better than I had imagined.

I set my bag down on a chair and pulled out Ryan's stuff. I set it on a little table, next to all the other stuff he's received from his classmates and friends. I stared at them. _To be surrounded and cared by a lot of people..._ I shook my head. I glanced at him for a while and then turned to leave.

Once I left the building, I looked at my watch. _It's about four..._ I turned the street to go to a nearby gift shop. It took me about three stores to find the right stuffed animal. I glanced at my watch once I walked out of my final store. _Oops, it's five now... It'll be about five forty-five once I get home..._ I gazed at the sky. It was a pale blue with hints of orange toward the horizon. A slight breeze swept by. _Cold…_ I put my hand in my pocket and I felt a scrap of paper.

I pulled it out and realized that it was the note the girl in my French class gave me yesterday. I opened it to read its contents. _'I know who's spreading the rumors... Meet me by the library afterschool.'_ I stuffed the note back in my pocket. _Guess I'll have to go up to her myself tomorrow..._

I yawned as I went through my front gate. I felt tired all over again. I shut the front door behind me and slipped off my shoes.

"Aiyah! Where have you been? Do you know how late it is?" Yao was standing in front of me with his hands on his hips.

I glanced at my watch and stood all the way up, "It's only six..." I started to space out along the way so I was fifteen minutes off.

Yao frowned and looked up at me. I was taller than him, sadly, with me being five feet seven and him being five feet four. "Why were you late, aru?"

I shuffled past him and saw Arthur lying on the couch, sleeping. He looked as tired as me. I indicated my thumb at him, "What's wrong with Arthur?"

"He just came home tired, aru. Something about 'fangirls' and then he went out again. When he came home about half an hour before you, he went straight to sleep… and don't ignore my question!"

"I see…" _I knew there were Hetalia fans at my school besides me…_ I went toward my room.

"Nana, answer me, aru. I was worried because you wouldn't come home."

I stopped and sighed. "I'm sorry for worrying you but I'm fine. It's a normal thing anyway." I yawned. I think I'll copy Arthur and nap as well. I closed my room's door behind me, threw my bags aside, and fell face forward onto my bed.

From the living room, I heard Yao and Francis arguing about something. I could only make out just a few lines.

"_It's dangerous letting her go out on her own, aru." _

"_But she's been doing it most of her life, mon ami." _

"_After telling me what she's been through so far, it's not safe at all."_

"_She's a responsible girl."_

Yao sighed in frustration. _"Why doesn't she at least own a phone like all those young people now, aru?" _

"_We can't exactly afford it…" _

My brain decided to stop listening there and I fell asleep.

* * *

><p><strong>Well Hello readers, how have you all been? (I don't know, I just felt like asking…) <strong>

**Anyway, I wanted to get things going again so I guess this chapter's like a starting point. Ryan's improving rapidly, Kyle's being extra nice to Nana, a girl knows who's spreading rumors, and Yao is acting like an overprotective… mother ((I'm sorry Yao T^T No matter what, you seem more like a mother, a woman)). I apologize for missing characters. I was too lazy to add them in this one. (And yeah, I was lazy with the title too...)  
><strong>

**Winter break's ending and school's going to start soon for me so I have no idea when I'll next update. It will probably be in the next five to twenty-one days orz . I meant to post this chapter on New Year but, nope, too bad. **

**So, what's Nana going to do next? **

**ps. It's 23 chapters now, wow. I was reading through this story again from the start and, well, how is it so far? **

**pps. I started a new story (because I finished "Something Like That") called "Beats". It only has one chapter so far but if you want, go check it out too! **

**ppps. 70 reviews with 22 chapters, it's so awesome T^T I thank you all for your support! **


	25. Chapter 24: Unanswered Questions

Unanswered Questions

"So."

I leaned against the whiteboard in the French classroom and glanced at the girl. It was afterschool hour and I asked for her to stay. I also told Francis and Arthur to go ahead home. I had business to tend to.

"I was starting to think you just tossed that note." She smiled at me and leaned back in her seat at the front of the class.

"No, I would never." I let out a laugh then eyed her. "What do you want to tell me?"

"Can't we get along first?" She stood up and held out her hand. "I'm Lilia Estelle, sophomore student president."

_Wait, student president..?_ "You probably already know who I am." I shook her hand.

I felt her hand wince a little. "Your hand's pretty cold."

I pulled back, "Sorry..."

She shook her head, "No, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that."

I put my hands behind my back, "Why are you so interested in helping me?

Lilia sat back down and looked at me. I haven't noticed until now but she had really pretty blue eyes that complimented her soft blonde hair. _No wonder she was so popular with the votes..._

"The girl that's been bullying you; She's been messing with anyone else she runs into as well. You just happened to be her 'favorite'."

_Wow thanks... At least I know the President is doing her job._ I sat down on the seat next to her. "So I'm not the only one."

"It's not only that though." She twirled her neatly tied hair with her finger. It was unusual to see her unconfident; not that I really paid attention for the past few days but it seemed unnatural for her.

She sighed a little and it seemed like she regained some strength from that. "I've known you since middle school, Nana. I didn't want to see you go through more struggles."

I blushed a little. I knew some people were sympathetic toward me because of my conditions at home but rarely anyone tells me in person like that.

"I... didn't know you cared." She looked at me and I blushed some more and glanced to the side. "I mean, I don't really pay attention to people like you..."

She cocked her head to the side.

_Wait, no._ "Sorry, I didn't mean it like that."

She only laughed. "It's okay; I'm used to those assumptions."

_But she was so nice... I guess my views on the popular people are more flexible now..._

"There's more to why I'm supporting you, though." She grew unusually quiet.

_There was more..? I need to pay more attention..._

"I was there." She swallowed.

_Huh..?_ "There where?"

"At the rooftop."

I felt the color drain from my face. I seriously needed to pay attention; seriously.

She cleared her throat. "I got really worried when you stopped showing up at school."

"...Is that so?" I tried to avoid eye contact.

She sighed. "Of course everyone else was too, but sadly they completely blamed you for what happened to Kyle."

I played with my hair. Of course they would blame me. Kyle was the star player of the football team and they've been winning every single game; that is until he completely shattered his leg and hip and got some brutal cuts. After that, the team's been losing most of their games. All hatred and frustration were directed toward me._ How could I ever go back to school?_

I shook my head. "Aside from that…" I managed to face Lilia again. "Tell me who is the one spreading the rumors." I attempted to change the topic. There was no need to dwell in past mistakes right now.

"Yes, right." She took a deep breath, probably thinking the same thing as me. "I believe it's-"

"Lilia!"

The Pres and I turned to the door and another student council member was standing there, trying to catch his breath. He straightened himself up and raised his glasses. "There's some issues going on in the library and they need you immediately."

"Issues? In the library?" She furrowed her brows as if she was thinking about something very complicated. Then she glanced over at me and back at the guy. "I was in the middle of something; could it wai-"

He marched over to her and forcibly dragged her out of the room. "It's very urgent, Lilia! We can't waste time!"

I stared at the door which was now empty from any living presence. I groaned in frustration and slammed my head against the desk. _So close…_ I repeated it several more times until a hand stopped me. I lifted my head up and met another pair of blue eyes.

I rested my head back onto the desk. "I thought I told you to go home…"

"Well, I was going to until I found out that a teacher meeting was being held at the last minute," said Francis.

"Oh." I sat up and rubbed my forehead. _Probably shouldn't have done that… That bruise from yesterday still hurts too…_

The Frenchie chuckled and placed a bag of ice against my head. "A little princess like you shouldn't damage that beautiful visage."

I blushed at his comment and closed my eyes for a moment. It felt nice against my throbbing skin. "Since when do you carry around bags of ice?"

"I was going to come pick you up sooner but when I saw you hitting your head against the desk, I had a feeling that I should grab something for afterwards." He took the ice off my head.

When I opened my eyes to tell him to give me the ice pack, he kissed my forehead. I felt my ears burning and scooted back in my chair. The legs got caught on something and I tipped backward. I braced for impact but that never came up.

Francis helped me up. "Be more careful, ma cherie, or else you'll damage more than that pretty face of yours."

I pushed off of him, slung my bag over my shoulder, and headed out the door. "We're going home!"

"Whatever you say, ma petite princesse {my little princess}."

I stared at the blue sky that was starting to fade into shades of orange and pink toward the horizon.

"What were you two ladies talking about?"

"Nothing that concerns you..."

We were about a block from the house. Arthur had apparently gone home already so I guessed he was having his tea by now. It might just be me but he seemed really exhausted lately. _Maybe fan girls chase him around at school? Francis seems to be managing them pretty well though..._

A strong wind blew by and my hair whipped my face.

"Ow." I tried to hold it in place as it started to calm down.

"That was some wind." Francis was fixing his hair as well.

I shook my hair in place. "Yeah..."

Frenchie combed my hair with his hand. "Pure white, like you."

"White, what-" My face went red. I pulled my skirt down further and stomped on his foot. "Perverted frog!"

He jumped around holding his foot. "It was the wind!"

"Didn't need to look!" I was about to kick his shin but a police car stopped near us.

I glared at him. "What did you do?"

He stopped hopping and shrugged. "I committed no crime, ma cherie."

"Stop where you are and put your hands up."

I was about to when I realized who was talking. I squinted in the car window.

Alfred rolled it open and popped his head out. "Is that man harassing you, young lady?" He grinned at me with his shades.

I grabbed Francis by the wrist. "Yes, officer. Please take him away."

The three of us broke into laughter.

Alfred put his sunglasses on his head. "You two behave now. Otherwise," he winked at me, "the Hero will be there to save you."

I just nodded. "Yes yes. You should go now before you're caught wasting time."

He laughed. "I was on break anyway." He put his shades back on and rolled the window closed. "Hero cop, away!"

I waved as he drove down the street. _It seems like he enjoys his job. That's good..._

An arm wrapped around my shoulders. "Shall we continue home?"

The blush came back and I nudged off of him. I walked ahead. "I'm still mad at you."

I only sensed a smiling air behind me as we headed home.

"We're back, mes amis."

"Tada Ima {I'm home}." I put my shoes away and headed to the kitchen.

"Ve~ Welcome home."

"Feli, pay attention to the game."

I got myself a cup of water and glanced over at the table. Yao and Feliciano were playing what seemed to be mahjong. I never played it outside of computer games so it was an interesting sight. I sorted through the mail that arrived. _Junk, junk, bill, junk, bill-Wait bill?" _I picked out the envelope_. Flying Mint Bunny Express..?_ I tore it open and it hit me. I vaguely remember Mark telling me that the first three units were free.

_Hello Miss Yukibara. This is a notification to remind you that you need to pay for your last three units- Ivan Braginski, Arthur Kirkland, and Yao Wang._

I sighed. I knew I was forgetting something.

_Unit Total: $450.34_

I stifled a gasp.

"What's wrong, ma cherie?" Francis looked over my shoulder. After about ten seconds of silence from him, he understood the issue as well. "This isn't good."

_You have until December 31st of this year to make your payment. If you are unable to meet the date then we will be taking your units, starting with the most recent one._

_Thank you and have a nice day._

I sighed and put the contents back into the envelope. _We could barely keep up with the regular bills right now with six units now living in my house..._

"We'll figure something out." Francis kissed the top of my head. He was in charge of keeping up with the bill payments. He was probably thinking the same thing as me.

I nodded and went down the hall into my room. _Why do they give out units like this when you have to pay for the others? Something doesn't seem right..._

I threw my bag down on my bed, which was still on the ground composed of a bunch of extra blankets, which was starting to thin out thanks to more units showing up at my front door. I sat at the desk Arthur and I shared. I was surprised he wasn't home yet. I kicked at the leg and saw a bag by the lamp post in the corner.

_Oops..._

I grabbed the thing that was inside and scurried back to the living room. I held it behind my back and headed to Yao.

"I win, aru."

"Ve~ it was like a matching game with tiles." Feliciano leaned back in the chair and a cat hopped on his lap. Apparently his kitty decided to pay him a visit.

"Umm... Yao." _This is kind of embarrassing..._

"Yes, aru?" He turned to me after storing away his game pieces.

"Remember when you helped get my homework done all night..?"

He nodded. "I was very tired, aru."

I laughed nervously. "Sorry about that..."

He waved his hand. "It's fine though. What about it?"

I blushed a little and held out the panda doll at him. "I... wanted to give you a 'thank you' present."

He stared at me and then at it. His usual content, tired eyes changed into one of a child's with that excited glisten. He took it into his arms and let out a small squeal.

I smiled. "You're welcome."

"It's so cute, aru!" He faced me, "Xie xie {Thank you}."

I nodded at him and decide to leave him in his happy place. I went back to my room and sat at the desk again.

First I get cut off from finding out who was spreading the rumors, then Francis goes all perverted on me, then I find the bill. I hung my head down; too many things at once.

I dragged my bag over and pulled out my folder. _Might as well do my homework to keep my mind off of stuff..._

About an hour later, I got most of my things done. I yawned and glanced at the clock. _5:45 pm... Arthur wasn't back yet either... I wonder if he found a job and isn't telling us?_

I stretched in my seat. I realized I didn't change out of my uniform yet and went to do so.

I sat back down and yawned again. _T-shirt and sweatpants; best combo ever._

Right when I was going to start my last bit of homework, the door creaked open. Arthur staggered in, looking really tired.

"Umm... hey roommate." I meekly waved at him.

"Hello Nana." He set a gift bag on the desk and watched me expectedly.

I stared at it and pointed at myself. He nodded and looked away a little, blushing.

_Why all of the sudden..?_ I dug in the bag and pulled out a box. When I saw what it was for, I gasped and accidentally dropped it onto the floor.

"Now that is not a proper way to treat a gift..."

"Sorry." I picked it up. "But why?" _A phone... he got me a phone..._

He rubbed his neck. "We talked about it overnight and... well we thought you should carry one with you."

I stared at the box and then back at him. "You didn't have to! It would add to the bill we already have trouble keeping up with and there's this new one too-"

He put a hand on my shoulder. "We know. But we decided to get it knowing all that. You deserve it and you need it."

I felt a smile tugging at my lips. I stood up and bowed at him. "T-thank you very much..."

"Y-you don't need to thank me. I mean we're living under your roof so we would be troubled if something happens to you."

I stifled a laugh. _He was so bad at this._ "Thank you very- ARTHUR!"

The Englishman lost his conscience all of the sudden and started to topple over. I tried to keep him up but ended up being toppled on. We crash landed where my bed was.

He was heavy; lighter than I expected but still heavy. "Arthur? Hey, Arthur!"

No response.

* * *

><p><strong>Dun dun dunn… <strong>

**Yay I'm alive. I told you I'll update in 5-21 days~ **

**I'm starting to get the gears in action since I want to see how this arc will go through. I feel like I'm going to rush it a bit but it's not fun if it's super draggy and long, right? **

**So, chapter recap- New character, Lilia Estelle (random character, vital to this arc I suppose); tired Artie (fan girls? something else? secret job?); bill from Flying Mint Bunny Express (something seems fishy…); and finally Nana gets a phone. **

**Sorry for not putting more characters again. I promise the next chapter that they'll show up (since I already started working on it). Do do do~ School's being a pain even after the first week back. Ah well. At least I have the time to write. **

**As always, Merci/Grazie/Arigatou/Thank you/Xie xie/Spasibo for the reviews and follows! \(^o^) **

**ps. Bill price set by EliteKessu (and proofread the bottom half of the story too I suppose)  
><strong>


	26. Chapter 25: Reflection

Reflection

Birds were chirping. A light breeze was blowing outside. A gentle ray of light peeked through the windows and curtains. A clock was ticking in the background.

"Wake up..."

I felt someone poking my forehead.

"Wakey, wakey..."

I rolled over. _What time is it..?_

The person kept poking me.

I reached over for my clock and looked at the time. _The time…_

"Crap!" I bounced out of bed only to trip over Ivan, who was either trying to wake me up or poking my head just for his amusement.

"Calm down padrooga. You're not too late, da?"

I rubbed my chin. "If I want to eat breakfast and take my time walking then I'm late." I got up and ran to the restroom. _That's right. Arthur fell unconscious last night and hasn't woken up yet..._ Just my luck because he usually wakes me up when I oversleep.

After Arthur collapsed, apparently Alfred and Francis had heard me shouting. They helped me get Arthur into his bed and Yao examined him to see the cause of his sudden fall. He said it was just fatigue and that it wasn't a serious case. I still couldn't help but to remain worried and ended up staying up for a while. _Who knows when I fell asleep…_

When I was finished, I changed into my uniform, grabbed my bag, grabbed my lunch and dashed out the door.

"Have a nice day at school, aru."

I waved at Yao as I ran past him down the street. _Was he taking a walk?_

The final bell rang as I got to my seat. I sighed in relief and rested my head on my desk. _Made it on time..._

The rest of the day dragged by as usual, but Arthur never showed up so I felt a little insecure. _I hope he's okay... _

"Lunch, finally." I plopped down onto the grass and took out my food. Skipping breakfast and having no snacks were clearly not smart choices.

I took a bite from my sandwich and stared at my leg. It had a bruised from playing soccer. _I see why people wear shin guards…_

I sighed and read through the lunch notes my units left in the lunch bag.

"Ve~ I made sugar cookies from the recipe Lombardi made. Hope you like them!" I mimicked Feliciano's voice as I read it. I smiled to myself and moved onto the next one.

"Ow!" I flinched and swung around to see what hit my head.

Kyle stood there grinning with one of his crutches raised up. "Hi."

"What was that for..?" I rubbed my head. "And what do you want?"

"Another quiet lunch time I guess." He sat down and set his tray on his lap.

I stared at him as he unwrapped the foil for his corn dog.

He glanced over at me. "I see the girls didn't think twice about kicking you when you had the ball."

I placed my bag over my leg. "W-well playing sports isn't fun without some roughness..."

He swallowed his food. "It's not fair though."

I just continued my lunch. I know it wasn't. But I just decide to let it happen. It's my own consequence.

Kyle sighed and moved his ankle around.

I packed my lunch away. "I see you're healing."

He nodded and smiled. "If I'm lucky I'll be able to play football again next year."

I nodded lightly. _That's good to hear..._

The bell rang. Kyle started to get up to throw out his trash but I took it and threw it away with my own. I grabbed my bag and turned away to leave.

"Thanks, bud."

I blushed and marched on. _Bud..._

"Ma cherie~" Francis glomped me after class ended and everyone left.

I squirmed out of his grasp and held up my hands. "Whoa, whoa. Personal bubble, s'il vous plait {please}."

He chuckled. "I'm sorry but I've had such a 'tres bien' worthy day."

I packed my stuff and made sure Ryan's were in there too. "How come?"

"That grumpy Brit wasn't here to bother me all day." He started to hum and packed his own papers.

"Ah sou {Is that so}." I organized the seats and desks. I went past where Lilia sat and found a note on the seat. _To: Nana…_ I took it and slipped it in my pocket.

"Ready to go?"

"Guess so."

I kicked at a rock as we walked down the street. "What should we do about the unit bill?"

He sighed. "Collecting $450 in three months is a bit rough. About $125 per month."

I kicked at another rock. "I think I should cut French class to work again."

Francis sniffed. "That would make Big Brother sad."

"Too bad."

We walked inside the house and smelled something odd.

"I-I think something's burning..." I dropped my stuff and headed to the kitchen. "What's going-"

Arthur held up a pan of... something and raised a brow.

"-on..." I laughed nervously and waved at him. "Hi Arthur... How are you feeling?"

"Well, I was feeling hungry and no one was around when I woke up." He plated his dish. "So I made something for myself."

I stared at the dish. _What is it..?_

He grabbed a fork. "If you want some too then I wouldn't mind sharing."

I snapped out of my daze. "It's okay. I... had a little snack earlier."

Francis came into the kitchen as well. "Ah, figures."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Arthur scowled at him and took a bite.

I stared for a moment and shook my head. "Anyway, what happened last night?"

He just sat there as if he was trying to remember and just shrugged. "I suppose having to deal with rabid fan girls at your school along with the frog and Alfred worn me out."

"Oh." _I guess those girls were crazy; enough to wear him out to blacking out._ I scratched my head. "Are you feeling okay now?"

"Yes yes. I'm feeling quite better. Yao gave me some remedies so those helped." He sipped his tea. "Now, I would like to eat in peace."

"Right, um, sorry." I rubbed my neck. "I'll be in our room."

He nodded and I dismissed myself.

"Homework homework, oh how I despise thee." I scribbled answers in a workbook.

There was giggling behind me. I gasped and saw Ivan dropping off Arthur and my laundry.

I twirled the pencil in my hand. "How was work today?"

"It was good." He smiled. "The sunflowers were healthy."

_Of course, the sunflowers._ "Do you like your job?"

He nodded shyly. _That's good._ "But there are weird people out there. They sometimes ask for pictures with me even though I didn't do anything."

_Fan girls... Luckily he works inside most of the time..._ I smiled. "I'm glad you're enjoying it."

He nodded and picked up the basket. "Well, be a good girl and go back to work."

"Da {Yes}..." I spun the chair back towards the desk. Ivan ruffled my hair and left the room. _Wait..._ I stared at the clothes he left. _Who does my laundries..?_ I blushed at the thought and shook my head. _Stupid thought... but still..._

"Nana~" The door swung open and Feliciano was holding a bowl of ice cream.

I leaned back in my chair. "Mr. Ciro let you take some ice cream home again?"

He grinned and nodded. He set the bowl down on my desk. "Bon appetite!"

"Grazie {Thank you}." I took a bite. _Ice cream..._ I glanced at him. "How's work?"

"Ve~ it's great. I get to eat all the ice cream I want and be with cute girls."

_Of course._ "I wish I can work with you again." _Desperately needed money…_

Feliciano nodded. "Me too! But Alissa keeps me company, and helps me out when girls try to take me away."

I choked. _Take you away? Those rabid fan girls..._ "I'm glad she's being a big help."

His face lit up as usual. "Yep!"

"Feli!"

The Italian unit looked out the door. "Oh, Alfred is calling me. I'll leave you alone to do your homework now." He waved at me as he closed the door.

I sighed a little and continued my snack. _Fan girls... Why didn't I think of them earlier..?_ I stared out my window, which was still broken from when Ryan threw the rock at it. _I wonder if anyone else out there owns units like I do..? I wouldn't mind having someone to share this feeling with…_ I stretched in my seat. _Gotta go with what I have I guess._ I went back to my work.

"Dinner, aru!"

I slammed my textbook closed. _Finished everything just in time, yay. _I went to the dining room and joined the guys at the table.

Yao set the main dish down at the center. "Stir-fried chicken and rice; enjoy, aru."

I muttered grace to myself and helped myself to the food.

Arthur cleared his throat a little. "Say Nana, have you had the chance to explore your phone yet?"

I swallowed. "No, not yet. I guess I will after dinner." _Completely forgot..._

"Ve~ we can call you now."

"Don't call at the wrong time though, mon petit frère {my little brother}."

I hope it was simple to use. I never had a phone yet or even used a cellular one for a long time. I'm so slow with the times. I wiped my mouth and scanned the table. _Feliciano, Alfred, Arthur, Francis, Yao, and Ivan…_ There were six units already and only three bedrooms. I guess I could call the living room couch a bed but it's not very pleasant. Yao's been sleeping on the couch on the most part, sometimes switching off with whoever lost rock, paper, scissors against him. It's so cramped... _Maybe we should move... I'd hate to leave this place but it's hard to keep everyone comfortable..._

"Hey, dude."

I looked up to my right at Alfred.

"Are you gonna eat that?"

I smiled faintly and slid my plate at him. "I'm good. You can have it." I got up from my seat. "Thank you for the food, Yao. I… still have work to do so I'll excuse myself."

"Are you feeling unwell?" asked Francis.

"No, I feel just fine." I cleared away my things besides the plate and went to my room. Great, I lost my appetite from worrying about things too much.

I sighed and sat on my bed. _Almost forgot again!_ I searched in my skirt's pocket and pulled out the note that Lilia left.

"_I'm sorry about the interruption. Sometimes teachers can be like us, argue over the most pointless things. Anyway, I would like for us to meet up and talk again. I didn't want to tell you my assumption on the note just in case someone else received it. Please meet me in the library during lunch tomorrow. -Lilia"_

I put it back in my pocket. I hope nothing will get in the way this time. _Who could it be..? My guess would be that obnoxious 'leader' chic…_

I crawled to my desk and grabbed the box with my phone in it. I unpacked everything and after ten minutes of going through the manual, I was adding the home phone number to the contact list. I felt accomplished and smiled to myself. It was simple enough to use so I felt relieved. I went ahead and added any other numbers I could think of and finally went onto playing with the settings.

"I see you are enjoying it."

I was startled and looked up from the device. Arthur had a towel around his neck with his hair sloping down from being wet. I just nodded and closed the phone. _Unspikey hair… that's new…_

He gave an approving nod. "That's good, but make sure it will not distract you from your schoolwork."

"Yes, yes." I yawned and searched for my clock. Apparently I've been playing with the phone for almost an hour.

Arthur sat on his bed. "Since you seem to be done with your work, you should go ahead and get to sleep."

"But it's just nine," I protested. "Besides, I think you should get rest too so you won't collapse from overworking again."

He ruffled his hair with the towel. "My business is only for my concern. I know my body and I'm sure it's fine now."

"I could say the same for mine." I crossed my arms.

"Don't push yourself either." He sighed. "At least go wash up before the others raid the shower first."

I was about to decline but I decided to take up his idea. I grabbed my clothes and towel and rushed to the bathroom. _'My business is only for my concern'..? What's he doing behind our backs?_

* * *

><p><strong>Yeah, another chapter update. I felt like posting more so here's something like a "filler". Just basically background stuff I guess. The next should be more eventful. I apologize for the time cuts and lapses. I really didn't plan this chapter so just went on typing and typing and ended up with this. <strong>

**Do you remember the first time you got a phone and played with all the settings and stuff? Because I know I did that XD **

**I added Alfred, Feli, and Ivan, yay! I didn't forget you guys D: **

**I decided to call this "Reflection" to 'reflect' back on what's going on as of now (I know I didn't get every single one but it's most of it) since it's the (real) 25****th**** chapter. **

**Who's curious? Who's bored? Please let me know how this school arc's going so I could change it in the next chapter! (Too slow and repetitive, good so far, too confusing, etc)**

**Thanks for feedbacks in advance! **

**-Miracle **


	27. Chapter 26: Truths and Lies

Truths and Lies

Two days ago, I went to the library where I was supposed to meet Lilia. I waited for almost an hour. The librarian finally noticed my presence and handed me a note that Lilia had passed to her.

_I'm sorry, again. What is this? The sixth time? This is getting ridiculous. I don't know why I keep getting interrupted when I know for sure that I don't have to do anything. It's getting strange... I will call you this time. I have access to the student information files so don't worry about exchanging numbers. -Lilia_

I shoved the note in my pocket. I watched Arthur run across the field while four girls chased after him. _Re-scheduled five times..._ I mumbled nonsense to myself as I ate my sandwich. Arthur hid behind a tree as three of the girls ran past it. One of them noticed him and called the rest over. The cycle started again. _No wonder he'd tired..._ I thought about helping him. Then I decided I was too lazy to. Besides, I had my own matters at hand.

"I feel bad for that supervisor. I heard he moved from England and been attracting girls ever since he decided to work here." Kyle sat near me, watching the scene too. "Something about him resembling a character from a show."

I sighed and stared at Kyle. _He keeps showing up... Doesn't he have better people to be with?_

I averted my eyes back to the scene just as he glanced over at me. We were at the back of the school where no one really cared about looking because it was usually dark from the shadow of the grand tree. It was like those dark tinted window: you could see out but they can't see in unless they really tried. I looked from people to people, collecting my suspicions on the rumor spreader.

_He's been in my class for about three years... but she's talked to me some times last year but stopped this year..._

"Are you looking for someone?" asked Kyle. "The supervisor went up that tree if you're looking for him." He pointed at a direction.

I shook my head and turned to him. "Seriously, why do you bother hanging out with me during lunch? You have a bunch of other people you could be with."

He only grinned as he crumpled up his chip bag.

_This is getting annoying..._ I completely faced him. "I'm serious!"

His grin melted into a slight grimace but that was quickly replaced by a weak smile. "I... was just tired."

I plucked some grass from the ground. "Tired of what?"

He laid down and put his hands behind his head. "Being pitied on."

I stared at him. That was right. He never had to go through this kind of thing until now. He was always so perfect even though there was no such thing as perfection. I envied that every time he tutored me for history last year.

"I'm fine as I am but everyone keeps talking bullcrap about you so I decided to leave." He closed his eyes. "I followed you after PE one day to see where you go for lunch and that's how I found you."

"Stalker much..?" I mouthed to myself. I rubbed my neck. "Sorry for yelling at you then..."

He opened his eyes again and smiled at me. "Don't sweat it."

I plucked another grass. _Would he know who was spreading the rumors?_

"It was normal for the first couple of days until Savannah decided to add onto the fire by telling the wrong things about the event; even if she was there with us."

I thought back. "Who's Savannah..?"

"This popular chic that formed a small posse by the last day of school two years ago." He yawned. "I think Kairi was in it too. I wish she wasn't."

_Popular chic? Kairi?_ I clenched my fists. _I knew it..._

I stood up and marched out of the shadows.

"Where are you going?" Kyle sat up and I heard him trying to catch up with me.

I neglected him and went forward. _If I'm right then this girl should be around here..._

"Nana! Hold on-" I heard a thud behind me. I glanced back. Kyle was on the ground holding his foot. Apparently he tripped on a tree root. Part of me wanted to go back and help but the other part was stronger. I needed to get to the girl.

I reached the table where she was. I slipped past her people and grabbed my target by the shirt.

She had a surprised look but that was quickly replaced by a smirk.

"Look who decided to join us today."

I just glared at her. _Cocky even in situations like this..._

"Why," I tightened my grip, "are you trying to ruin my life?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." She smiled innocently.

I shook her once. "Don't play stupid! You're the one who's been lying to everyone about what I did last year!"

There was a murmur of confusion around us.

"I did no such thing." She put a hand over mine. "You got the wrong girl."

I kept my grip. "Kyle said you were."

"Kyle?" She smirked again. "My ex? I had to dump him because he kept lying to me. How do you know if he's not faking his sympathy for you?"

"What do I care about him? All I need to know is that who is killing my school year with my past!" I shoved her. She reeled back but her people swarmed her like flies to garbage.

"I'm fine you guys." She flipped her hair. "The mentally challenged girl with two colored eyes is the one that needs help."

I clenched my fist. I wanted to hit her; so badly. I scowled at her. "Tell me the truth!"

Savannah crossed her arms. "Or else what? You wouldn't let yourself get an even worse reputation would you?"

"You know you're the one who's been spreading the rumors. You know you were up there on the rooftop and saw the whole thing." I advanced toward her. "What do you have against me?"

I was about to grab her by the shirt again but a figure slipped in between us. I stepped back a little. _Kairi..._

She was defending her leader with her arms out wide like they do in shows. She had that guilty look in her eyes.

I fixed my gaze on her. "Why, why are you stopping me?"

"She-she's telling the truth..."

I stared at her. _She's probably being tricked..._

"I'm not being tricked either... I know Savannah's telling the truth. She's only adding to the fire, not starting it."

I took a step back. "Then who..."

She looked like she wanted to cry. Her eyes averted away from me. It looked like she was conflicted on whether to tell me or not; like something would be at stake if she did tell me.

"Kairi..." I reached for her shoulder but a shrill whistle sounded from the sidelines.

A girl was pointing at me. "Right there, sir! She was starting a fight."

Arthur emerged from the flock of people and gave me a disappointed look. He went up to me and turned to the crowd.

"There is nothing to see here. It will all be taken care of."

The people slowly dispersed to where ever they were before.

Arthur went up to Savannah and Kairi and asked if they were okay. They said they were and left the scene. Kairi glanced over at me with that same apologetic look from before.

The Brit came back to me. "A lad on crutches filled me in on the way." He sighed, "What were you thinking?"

I wanted to cry. I felt so confused and irritated. Why wasn't anything turning out right? I wanted to run away. But I couldn't. I promised not to anymore. I just shook my head and let Arthur escort me back to get my things just as the bell rang.

After school, the headmaster lectured me about on-campus behavior. She let me off the hook for now because she understood my situation from last year. I apologized and thanked her and headed home.

Francis was whistling a tune and Arthur was irritated by it. I stopped walking.

The Frenchie glanced back. "What's wrong, ma cherie?"

I stared at the ground. "I… I'm going to go see Ryan." I looked up and gave them a weak smile. "I should see him every now and then, right?"

"I will go with you."

Francis and I turned to Arthur. He got flustered but recovered his posture. "I mean it's not safe for a young lady to be walking the streets alone; especially when it gets dark."

"Whatever you say." Francis ruffled my hair. "I will see you two later then."

Arthur and I eventually got to the hospital. We went up the elevator and walked down the hall where Ryan's room would be. My heart was pounding. I wasn't sure why. I slowed my pace. I couldn't find the nerves to face him again. _How was he? Was he getting better? _I stopped walking altogether. _What if he's awake? I'm not ready yet... _

"Nana?"

I probably shouldn't have come. Not after a long day. I rubbed my neck. "I… change my mind."

"Are you sure?" He cocked his head.

I nodded. _Next time... _

"Do you want me to greet him for you?"

I looked up at Arthur. "You?" _Didn't think he was the type to._

He seemed a little offended by that. "Why not? We came all this way so might as well."

_True…_ "Thank you." I sighed. "I'll go home first if that's okay."

"Just be careful, love."

I nodded and headed to the elevator. _Wait, "love"?_ I turned around but he was already gone in the room.

I sighed again and went back downstairs. I trudged home, greeted Yao, Feliciano, and Ivan, changed out of my uniform, and laid down on my bed.

I stared at the ceiling. I didn't feel like doing anything although some worksheets were waiting for me in my bag. I rolled over to my side. I saw the bill from the Flying Mint Bunny Company. I had that to worry about too. I closed my eyes. Francis said we have little over three months to work it out. We could save up money in the mean time. _$450 in three months…_ I guess it was possible with the majority of us working. As long as nothing goes wrong then we should be fine.

I threw my pillow on my face. I didn't want to go back to school tomorrow. I know Arthur and Yao are going to make me anyway.

"Ve~ I want pasta for dinner, Yao."

"We had pasta earlier in the week, aru."

"Dinner will be Shchi, da?"

"What the heck is that?"

"Let Big Brother whip up a nice French cuisine~"

"Aiyah, don't you have papers to grade? Take responsibility as a teacher."

"Hey guys! Look what I found under- Artie's back!"

"I told you not to call me that!"

"What do you want for dinner, Artie- I mean Arthur!"

"Not you too, Feliciano… and it doesn't matter. I'm going to rest before supper so don't bug me."

Footsteps padded the floor and the door clicked open.

"Those annoying bas-" Arthur probably saw me and shut his mouth along with the door. "Sorry dear, I didn't see you there."

I rolled to my other side, facing the wall. "Can I skip school tomorrow?"

"What? No, you may not." The desk chair squeaked from the weight of the Brit. "Have you done your homework yet?"

I stuffed my face in my pillow. "No."

I heard him sigh. "I understand that you feel conflicted right now but you have to get up and continue moving forward in order to find your answers."

I tried. I couldn't. My suspicions were scrambled now because Savannah was off from my list. She was my top guess. I didn't have any more people I could think of. I desperately needed to know. I needed to stop it all.

"When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."

I faced him. "What?"

He shut a book in his hand. The title read Sherlock Holmes. "Don't give up, love. Continue fighting like you've been and you will find the person you have been seeking."

I sat up and hugged my pillow. "Why the sudden affection?"

"You ask too many questions." He spun his chair so he wouldn't face me. "But please do attend school tomorrow."

"Fine…" I threw my pillow at him.

"Hey!" He grabbed it to throw it back.

My phone started vibrating. I held my hand up to stop him and answered. "Hello?"

"_Hello? Is this Nana Yukibara?" _

That voice. "Lilia?"

"_I take that as a yes. I heard what happened at school. Are you okay?" _

I nodded but realized she couldn't see me anyway. "I'm fine."

"_That's a relief. You found out that Savannah wasn't the one, huh?"_

"Yeah." I smacked the wall. I wish it was.

"_I had other suspicions. If Savannah wasn't it then I believe it was-" _Static followed the rest.

I pressed my phone against my ear. "What? I couldn't hear that."

"_I… said…-"_

What is going on. Every time she tried to communicate with me, it always gets interrupted. Another hand is at it. I don't know if it was the same person that's been spreading lies or not but someone doesn't want me to know. I'm just about done with this.

It was all static now. I hung up and rested my head against the wall. "I hate this…"

A pillow smacked my face. I turned to Arthur and he gave me a smirk.

I rubbed my head. "Keep fighting, right."

He gave an approving nod.

_If life wants to fight dirty then fine. I'm not backing down..._

* * *

><p><strong>Let's get things in motion. Part one of the events that's going to sum up the school arc. Enraged Nana anyone?<strong>

**If Savannah is not the one that's spreading the rumor then who is? What exactly did happen at the rooftop? Is Arthur part monkey enough to climb up a tree quickly? **

**Geez I haven't updated for 4 weeks... Bad Miracle. I've wanted to but school and laziness kicked in. Off to planning the next chapterrr... **

**But another thing, I have another story called "Beats" so if you're interested in Gakuen Hetalia and music story line (like K-On!) then please check it out :D**

**Enough of that. See you next time~**

**ps. I have 77 reviews with 25 chapters. That's amazing… Thank you for the support! **

**pss. I'm drawing (on paper…) Nana with the Alice of Human Sacrifice theme (relating to her dream). I have the first three and working on the 4****th****. I'll post it on my Da account once I finished if anyone's interested ^^ I need to squeeze in the 3****rd**** and 4****th**** Alice dream somewhere in the upcoming chapters, hmm… **


	28. Chapter 27: The Returned and the Defecte

The Returned and the Defected

_Right once, left twice, right again._

I clicked open my locker and switched out my binders.

Arthur told me to attend school so yes, here I was, passing period from third to fourth. Everyone was giving me a hard time about yesterday, which was just something I expected. _What's the point of coming?_ I sighed and tossed out the hate messages. _Daily routine..._ I slammed my locker closed.

"Yo."

I dared to see who it was. I felt my eyes widen. I gasped and jumped back. _Tell me I'm seeing things_...

"Took a while but I finally found you." He grinned at me.

"Ryan..?" _He was one hundred percent better! T-that can't be him! _He had no cast, no bruises, no nothing; just him.

"Yeah." He laughed. It was his laugh. "The doctors said I made a 'miraculous recovery'. Isn't that great?"

I nodded at him. I thought about what the doctor told me that one time. _"Angel's miracle work..."_ I owed this angel so much.

Ryan leaned against the lockers. "I'm so happy I finally get to see you. I was hoping you would be okay after my hero work."

I laughed timidly. _So he remembered about that... and he sounded like Alfred just now._

"But after three classes, I'm wondering about something."

I looked at him. _What?_

"What's with all the stupid talk about you trying to run over me or something?"

I cast my gaze down at my shoes. I pretended I was trying to get something off of it. "I... don't know."

"You sure?" He shifted his weight to his feet.

I laughed softly. "Yeah, the nerves of some people, huh?"

The one minute warning bell rang. _My class is at the other end of the hall... better make a run for it. _

When I looked back up, I saw one of Ryan's friend walking up to him from behind. _Well, I'm going to be late so... "_Bye_._"I turned and ran_._ I wasn't ready to face him. It was too sudden.

"No running in the halls."

I slowed into a speed walk but kept my eyes on the ground. I couldn't be dreaming. It was too real. I retreated into my classroom before the bell rang. I slumped into my seat and rested my head against my hand. People were calling me things but I didn't have a care in the world right now. Ryan was back. And that was a fact, not a rumor.

_But I just had to run, didn't I? _I ate a spoonful of leftover soup Ivan made last night. I was surprised to know that he was willing to make dinner for us at times. I sighed heavily and rested my head against the tree trunk.

"I'm sure he understands." Kyle was sitting beside me, looking out at the sky. I told him about what happened earlier. _Might as well tell it to someone._

"I guess." I sighed again. "And I'm sorry again about yesterday..."

"It's okay." He massaged his leg and smiled at me. "I told you already; I didn't hit my foot too hard so nothing was affected."

"I still feel really bad though..." I closed my eyes. _Running off in a fit while he was trying to stop me... Only to get disappointed in the end..._

"Nana."

Just as I opened my eyes, Kyle put his hand under my chin. His hand was cold, just like mine. I felt my cheeks grow warmer and warmer. I wanted to shake him off but I couldn't. _Something reassuring about his eyes..._

"I forgive you already. You don't need to be so hard on yourself, okay?" He smiled gently.

I nodded timidly and averted my eyes away from him. _You... could let go now._

"You already have a lot on your mind. Don't need to add more..."

I opened my mouth to protest but I heard the twigs from the ground snapping nearby.

"Hey! What's up guys?"

I flinched as someone hug tackled me from behind. My head landed in my arms and Kyle backed away against the tree.

_Ow... _I tried to sit up but someone was being clingy.

"Hey Ryan." said Kyle.

The said idiot raised his head and grinned at him. "Hey man, how's your leg?"

"It's getting better. I see you're completely healed though."

"Yeah, isn't it awe-"

I elbowed his chest. "How in the world did you find me here?"

He rubbed where I hit him. "Ow. And I just followed you for a little, got lost, decided to get lunch, explored, and then saw your bag lying next to the tree."

"You-" The bell rang. Lunch over. I kicked him off, grabbed my bag, and walked off. _The nerves of some people… Doesn't he know what 'personal space' is?_ When I was at a far enough distance, I put a hand on my chin and felt myself blush. _No, not good…_

I hung my head as I walked down the street. After school I waited until the halls were cleared to leave. I used Francis and Arthur as my cover but they kept moving. In the end though, I managed to leave school without Ryan spotting me.

The image of Kyle from earlier kept popping into my head. I felt myself blushing again and tried to shake the thought off.

An arm rested across my shoulder. "Ohonhon~ what's on your mind, ma cherie?"

"N-nothing." I turned away from him but he kept leaning his face closer to mine. _I wish he'd shave his beard or whatever it is…_

"Leave her alone, you frog," retorted Arthur, "or else you are going to attract the cops under the suspicion of molesting."

"I am doing no such a thing." He petted my head. "Besides, our Americain {American} is on our side so I'm sure I can get away-"

I knocked my head against his chin and he reeled back in pain. _Thank goodness Arthur's around..._

"So, um, Nana," started Arthur, "Did you see why I wanted you to attend school today?"

"Yes," I mumbled. "How did you know he was all better?"

"You are the one who changed their mind the other day." Arthur stretched. "Otherwise you would have known."

I was really glad that I changed my mind then. I kicked at a random pinecone on the ground. How did Ryan heal so soon? It was like magic. _Wait, magic..?_ I turned to Arthur.

"I ran into Ryan in the halls earlier." Arthur frowned. "He screamed 'Eyebrows' at me and ran off..."

Francis broke into laughter and I muffled a chuckle.

"It's not funny!" Arthur growled. "It was rather rude of him."

"Oh mon ami, don't be so offended." Francis was still laughing as he started to open the door.

"We're home!" I shouted as I walked through the door. I glanced in the living room as I made my way to my room. It was quiet and almost empty. Ivan was sitting on the couch quietly reading a book. "Where's Yao and Feliciano?"

He looked up from his book. "They needed some ingredients for dinner so they went to the supermarket."

"Okay then..." I dumped my stuff onto my bed and knocked on the American and Italian's door.

"It's open!" called out Alfred.

I opened the door and saw him lying on his bed, reading some comics. _And my manga..? _I just shook my head. "I need the computer for an assignment."

"'K, no prob bro." Alfred rolled onto his back as he turned the page.

_Bro..? I'm not a guy.._. I went back to my room and changed out of my uniform. I stared at myself in the mirror. My cheeks were still rosy. _I-it's no big deal… read too much shoujo manga, that's it…_ I smacked my face and took a deep breath. _Ryan's back too so it's another load off my shoulders…_ I gazed into my own eyes. _I still needed to figure out who started the rumors... _Lilia, Savannah, and Kairi were nowhere to be found today. Either I couldn't find them because I was distracted or they were avoiding me._ No matter, I will find them tomorrow._ I grabbed my binder and a pen and trudged back into the other room.

"Try not to bug me." I sat at the desk seat and opened up the web browser. I pulled out some sheets of paper to take notes with. I typed in 'witch trials and communism' and skimmed through the results.

"So, what's the assignment on?" asked Alfred.

I scrolled down and clicked on a video link. "I have to watch a documentary on some witch trial and write a report about it…" _Was it safe to do this with him in the room?_ I vaguely remember the manual saying something about provoking him. I was too lazy to check. _I should use headphones…_

I searched around the desk for a pair. "Where are the headphones?"

"I broke them last night. I was gonna go get new ones tomorrow." I heard a page being turned.

I sighed. I guess I had no choice. He would probably refuse to leave his room too since it was his day off from work. I played the video and kept the volume low enough so that he wouldn't hear but loud enough for me to still understand what's going on.

_Five minutes into the video and no weird activities by the unit…_ I yawned. It was such a boring documentary. I looked down at my pitiful notes and then hovered the mouse over the video. _Six more minutes... but the witch trials were pretty freaky…_

The six minutes passed and I managed to get a page full of notes. I thought that was enough for now and closed out the window. I got up and stretched. "Thanks, Alfred. Sorry for intruding."

No response.

_Did he fall asleep?_ I looked over at him and saw him… twitching. He was sitting at the far end of his bed, hugging his legs.

I scratched my head. "Did you see something freaky or what?"

No response again.

"…Hello?" I waved a hand in front of his face. He had the look of panic in his eyes, as if he was ready to kill anything that moved. He was muttering something under his breath, which I couldn't exactly make out. I glanced at his comics and saw that they were just ordinary American ones; nothing abnormal.

I poked his forehead. Before I knew it, he pounced on me and we collapsed onto the floor. _Thank goodness for carpet…_ He pinned me to the ground and jerked his head from left to right as if he was looking for something. He had my arms pinned at either sides of my head and was practically sitting on me.

I groaned as pain throbbed at my head. "Calm down, Alfred." was all I could really say. _What's going with him? I knew I should have read the manuals more carefully._

"Are you one of _them_?" His eye twitched. This was getting freaky.

"One of what?" I swallowed.

The door knocked. "What is going on in there? I heard things fall down." It was Arthur's voice.

_Well it wasn't the London Bridge, that's for sure._ "Alfred's acting weird!" I managed to shout before he covered my mouth.

"Weird? Isn't he always weird." It was Ivan this time.

"Them commies…" the American growled. Then he started to laugh maniacally.

"What in the bloody he-" The door swung open and Arthur blushed at the scene.

I stomped. "Not a time to be a perv! Get him off of me!" He was getting heavy.

Ivan lifted him off and the American started to throw a major fit. He eventually punched the Russian across the face and if I'm not mistaken, I heard a series of kol's emitting from Ivan.

Arthur helped me up. "What happened?"

"I… was watching a witch trial documentary and he started to go all crazy."

"Commie! Commie! Get the stinkin' commie off of me!" He was screaming now.

Ivan held up his lead pipe. "I can silence this misbehaved child, da?"

"L-let's not go there…" Arthur scratched his head. "How to stop this…"

"Catch." Francis threw the manual for Alfred at me.

"Merci {Thank you}." I caught it and flipped through it. _No…no…no… Yeah, of course, it would be at the very end._

_Congrats! You've managed to unlock ALFRED F. JONES's Paranoia mode! The way he acts was brought on by the McCarthy Witch Trials in the United States and the Cold War tension; how he gets into this mode is not yet known, but you can get him out of it by leaving him with a Grumpy ARTHUR KIRKLAND unit for long enough._

I turned to Arthur. "He's in paranoia mode."

"Obviously." Ivan had apparently duct taped Alfred's mouth and tied him to the chair with a jump rope.

Arthur read the rest of it. "I suppose I am the only one to stop him then."

I nodded at him. "Sorry."

He sighed and Ivan got out of his way. The Russian and I closed the door behind us and sighed in unison.

"T-that was scary…" I slid down onto my knees. I looked at my arms and there were marks left from him gripping so hard.

"That was a major headache." Ivan's cheek was bruised.

I held the manual and notes close to me. I sometimes forget that they were units, not completely human. They were to have bugs of course. I should have been more careful.

I stood back up and walked down the hall. I beckoned Ivan to follow. "As an apology… I'll treat your cheek…"

"Okay, but we both know that that won't be enough, da?"

"…Da."

* * *

><p><strong>Paranoiaaaaaa Alfred. sdfasdfj<strong>

**Why I decided to do that was from thinking about a review someone made. They're units, not human OTL;;; I mean I knew that but never made an effort to keep reinforcing that. . . yeah mes will be more careful. Paranoia Alfred! I had to rewrite it so many times because I couldn't decide which unit to mess up. **

**Aside from that, hey Ryan's back! And still annoying to Nana as ever. Her mindset right now is that she's so surprised to see him that she can't exactly face him yet (in case anyone was confused). **

**Part two of the school arc finale. . . I guess I shouldn't say finale because I sense about three to four more chapters on it orz. **

**Thanks for the reviews, follows, and faves~ I appreciate it ^^ **

**-Miracle **


	29. Chapter 28: Sudden Turns

Sudden Turns

"Psst."

I glanced up from my French worksheet. The girl sitting in front of me passed me several scraps of paper.

I gave her a questioned look but she only timidly smiled and placed them on my desk.

Francis was helping another student with the worksheet at the other side of the classroom. Assured that he wouldn't nonchalantly walk by, I decided to see what was up. I picked one note from the pile.

_"I'm sorry for being mean to you. -Signed..."_

_Okay? _I looked at another one and it had a similar message. The rest did as well. _What's going on? _

"All right classe, whatever you don't finish now will be homework," Francis announced as he was erasing the white board. There was about five minutes left in class.

I stared at my half finished worksheet. Today I barely saw Ryan or Kyle all day, even during lunch; I wasn't targeted in PE during volleyball; I had apology notes in my locker rather than the usual hate messages; and Savannah's been seriously frustrated and directing all her anger in messing with me. She constantly tried to trip me in the halls and even spilled her morning coffee on me but... people defended me rather than laughed.

I twirled my hair around my finger. It's been a weird day. I looked toward the front of the room. Lilia's been gone too lately.

_Ring ring ring. _

Francis opened the door to let everyone out. "Bon week-end, mes anges {Have a great weekend, my angels}."

The majority of the class was girls. There was that deep sigh of affection from them all when he smiled sweetly at them. I rolled my eyes and collected my stuff.

"Did you finish your worksheet, ma cherie?"

I closed my bag. "Nope." I stood up and realized that I forgot something in my locker. "I'll be right back, Frenchie."

When I left the room I felt like a fish swimming upstream. Everyone was going out of the school while I was trying to reach the lockers at the other end of the hall.

I eventually tagged my lock. "Finally..." I grabbed my chemistry notes and started to make my way back to the room.

"Nana."

I blindly looked around as I kept walking. _Did someone call me? _Instantly, I was grabbed my wrist and pulled back. I met face to face with Ryan in an empty classroom.

Flustered, I shoved him away. "Wha-wha-what do you want?" _And where was he all day?_

"Guess why your day's been so-much-less-crappier?" He smiled at me, not fazed by the situation at all.

I combed my bangs back away from my face. "You noticed too?"

"Well, yeah, of course." He rubbed the back of his neck. "It's because..."

I stared at him. It wasn't like him to be the troubled one. I sighed. "Could you hurry? I have someone waiting for me."

"You know how you didn't see me all day?"

I nodded. _Much to my relief honestly._

"And you know how everyone's been nice to you all day?"

I crossed my arms. "Just get to the point."

"I told everyone the truth, about what happened to me and the car accident. They believed me and I had them apologize to you."

I gave him a blank stare. _The truth...? How would anyone believe it after the rumors? Then again everyone knows Ryan and hearing the story from the person themselves is stronger than a claim..._ I dropped my arms and shook my head.

Ryan clasped his hands together. "Aren't you glad? You'll be able to go through school without worrying about stupid bullcrap floating around."

I just looked at him. _I guess I felt a little relieved..._ I cast my gaze to the side._ I owed him now... again. _

"Nana?"

I faced him again. I couldn't get myself to say anything. 'Thank you' wouldn't form on my lips.

He looked a little flustered once more. It seemed like he wanted to say something else.

"Why did you do it?" I decided to break the awkward silence.

"Why..? Why ask why? You're my bud and I can't keep watching you struggle. Especially this time since I was part of it." He grinned, "Can't make myself look bad too, you know?"

_Same old Ryan... _I sighed. I met his wild blue eyes. "Well... thank you for that."

He blushed and turned away. I just watched him as he collected his thoughts.

_Francis has to work later… Can't keep him waiting…_ "I got to go now..." I turned to leave the room.

"No, wait!" He grabbed my hand this time.

I was caught by surprise as he held his and my hand up. I stared at him while he was trying to figure out what to say next. It was really weird seeing 'Mr. Cool' fall into this. _Probably hit his head too hard..._

"Will you hang out with me tomorrow?- I mean I just want to catch up with you. You seemed busy over the summer and now it's school and all, you're probably freer over the weekend now, right?"

I blinked and tried to process the ramble in my head. "Hang out..?"

He nodded.

_Well, I owed him and I don't really have homework... _"I guess, fine."

He did a victory fist pump in the air. "T-that's awesome!- I mean I'm really glad."

I pulled my hand away from his and held onto my notebook. _This day just keeps getting weirder and weirder._

Ryan recollected himself. "Can you meet me at the park around eleven?"

I thought back. _Anything planned? Nope. _"Yeah, sure..."

"Great!" He seemed super excited. "I'll see you later then!" He jumped out of the room in joy and I watched him leave the school with his friends.

_What... just happened..?_

It was the night. I sat on the couch after dinner and crossed my arms. I told my units about what happened.

"It's totally a date, dude."

"Definitely a date..."

"C'est un rendez-vous~."

"Ve~ you're going on a date?"

I rested my head against the wall. _I knew it!_

"I thought that was sweet of him though," said Ivan.

Alfred laughed. "Dude, I can't believe you said 'yes', especially after you kept hatin' on him."

I groaned. "And I can't just ditch him now..."

Feliciano patted my back. "Don't worry, just pretend it's an actual 'hang out' and things won't be so awkward."

"I guess," I sighed. "I don't even know what he has planned."

"Nice lunch, stroll in the park, the movies; who knows?" Francis leaned back in the couch. "But he was being like a certain stubborn head and couldn't ask you on a real date." He glanced over at Arthur.

"Are you implying that 'certain stubborn head' to be me by any chance?" He sneered at him.

I hit my head repeatedly against the wall. I couldn't do this but I didn't want to leave him alone. I should probably just take Feliciano's advice.

"Keep it up and you'll break the wall, aru."

I turned to Yao who had just finished washing the dishes. "You're like 4,000 years old," I dropped to my knees in front of him, "don't you have any advices, oh wise one?"

"Aiyah, just because I'm the oldest doesn't mean I know everything!" He crossed his arms. "But... I will just say take Feli's advice. It's probably best for you."

I hit my head against end of the couch. "Okay..."

_The next day._

I swung up and down. Up and down. Up and down. I looked at my watch. He was ten minutes late. I dug my foot in the dirt to stop swinging on the swing. I looked down at my outfit. Francis and Feliciano just _had_ to dress me up for this. I would have rather followed Alfred's idea of jeans and a hoodie, but no.

I wore a grey sleeveless top with a tan blazer, skinny jeans, and flats, which were now dirty from the ground. My hair was up in a half bun and I managed to avoid makeup being applied on me. _I'm not a dress up doll..._

"Sorry I'm late. Granny wouldn't…let...me..."

I looked up at the said late person.

"Whoa," he breathed, "Is that you, Nana?"

I stood up and put my hands on my hip. "Who else would be waiting for your sorry butt?"

"Yep, it's Nana." He went up to me to get a better look. "You... look great."

I just shrugged. "It feels like Barbie puked all over me..."

He just laughed and gawked at me for a bit more. It was getting uncomfortable so I walked away from him. "So..." I turned around, "Where do you want to go?"

He ended up taking me to see a movie I was not really familiar of, although it was pretty interesting. Ryan mocked me for not hearing about it. It wasn't my fault since I had no TV to see or hear anything about it. Then he took me to a small cafe for lunch.

I stared down at my lap. _This definitely is like a date..._

"Two iced mocha and club sandwiches, please," Ryan told the waiter.

My phone buzzed in my pocket. Relieved to have something to distract me, I opened the text message. _From Alfred?_

_"Nana~ don't be so tense. Just relax; you're only catching up with a friend. -Feli"_

_Feliciano..? _I looked around the cafe and saw the familiar auburn hair by the window seat. He and Alfred were watching us from afar.

"So Nana..."

I snapped my attention away from the two and to Ryan. "Y-yeah?"

"After I moved... Were you lonely?"

_Lonely..?_ I weakly smiled and shook my head. That was not something to ask a person that's been alone all their life.

"No? Are you sure?" Ryan's blue concerned eyes were locked onto mine.

I just laughed. "You wouldn't know anyway since you left me alone long before you moved..."

He leaned back in his chair. "What do you mean?"

"You'll figure it out." I stuck my tongue out at him as the food came.

The atmosphere got a little tense from the silence about halfway through. I decided to break it this time. "What have you been up to in Washington?"

He swallowed his food. "Nothin' much, I guess. Played video games, played football, skateboarded, and other stuff."

"I see..." _I'm not sure if that's fun or boring for him… _"Did you do that with some friends or what?"

"Yeah, sure." He took a sip of water. "My dad was always out so I had to do something, right?"

I just nodded at him. _Was he lonely too?_

After we were done, he decided to take me to an arcade. Some of his friends were there as well and they went off to play their shooting games and such. I sat at the table to the side and watched them shoot zombies or whatever they were. From the corner of my eyes, I saw Alfred and Feliciano playing air hockey. After that, we randomly walked around town and realized that we were in front of a mall.

Kyle went to get us some ice cream and Alfred and Feliciano came up to me.

"We're gonna go now," Alfred yawned, "Arthur just wanted to make sure you two were fine on your own."

I shrugged. "Okay then. See you guys later- Where's Feliciano?" Alfred and I looked around.

"Ve~ ice cream, please!"

I facepalmed. _He would… _

After walking through the mall, seeing another movie, and having a simple dinner at Carls Jr., it was ten o'clock. The sky was pitch dark and Ryan finally decided to take us home. I felt really tired. I haven't gone out for this long just to 'hang out'.

Ryan yawned and stretched. "Did you have a good time?"

"If you consider dragging me around town the whole day a 'hang out' then... maybe." I pulled out the band that was holding my hair up. It was getting kind of cold. I combed my hair in place with my hands.

"You look better like that..."

I glanced back at him. "Say something?"

He blushed and shook his head.

We walked in relative silence. _Almost home... Just three more blocks._

"I'm sorry."

I looked at him. "What?"

"I'm sorry." He stopped walking.

I stopped too and faced him. "For what?"

"A lot of things..." His hair covered his eyes.

_What's up with him? _

"I was just thinking all day. About how I've been treating you for the past few years."

I stared at him. Then a smile crept up my face and I started to laugh.

He blushed and looked up. "What are you laughing at?"

I covered my mouth and continued laughing. "I'm sorry. It's just so unlike you." I sighed and faced him again. "You've changed too..."

He messed with his hair, flustered. "D-don't want to hear it from you."

I shook my head. "Anyway..." I smiled at him. "Thank you for today."

He blushed and turned away. I stifled a laugh. I didn't know why. I don't know if it was funny to see him lose the energy and confidence he usually had or it was because I felt some relief in my heart. I looked at my watch for the time. _11:45... I really should get going..._

"I'm going to go on ahead before the guys start spazzing from me being this late." I started heading to my street. _Well, it was an interesting day... _

"Nana!"

I stopped and turned around. Ryan ran up to me and hugged me. Startled, I just stared at him as he held on for few more seconds. He finally let go and held me by my shoulders.

"I..." he started.

I watched him as he was collecting thoughts in his head. I averted my eyes away from him. I knew what was coming.

"I really like you, Nana. I had since eighth grade, honestly."

I gazed at the rock on the ground. _For that long?_

"I didn't really notice how I treated you like crap for a long time until I moved." He lowered his head.

"At least... you notice now," I murmured.

He raised his head. "Will you forgive me?"

I gave a faint smirked. "What's the point of holding grudges..?" _Totally going against what I've been doing... I need to drop it eventually, right?_

Ryan had a look of relief sweep across his face. He hugged me again. I raise my arms up to do the same but decided to drop them. I couldn't return the feeling. I just couldn't.

He let go and took a deep breath. "I've wanted to get it all out..." I nodded at him, "but I'm not done."

I cocked my head. _There's more?_

"I... I love you, Nana." He held onto my hand and looked into my eyes. "It's not just a crush I've had. I really do like you and I want to protect you and your feelings."

I just stood there and stared back at him. _Love..? Protect..? _I did not know what to say.

He let go of my hand and laughed timidly. I saw him blushing madly under the streetlamp. "I-I'd better go or else Nanny will freak." He looked at me one last time and ran off to the direction of his house.

I blinked, trying to process everything in my head. I knew he had feelings for me but... but I did not expect all this. I ran my hand through my hair. I felt my cheeks blushing. I didn't know what to do.

"Heyy." Someone hit me on the back of my head.

I flinched and swung around. "Alfred?"

He raised up a plastic bag. "Yello."

I glanced at the bag. "What are you doing out?"

He shook it and I heard muffled cluttering noises.

"Pills?"

"Yeah..." He didn't look too happy. "Just for later."

I was going to ask but I decided I was too tired to. We went back home and as I walked through the door, I heard glass shattering. I gasped and ran to the living room.

"What's going- on..." My eye twitched.

Arthur, Francis, Feliciano, and maybe Ivan were all drunk. There were empty bottles of… things and clothes thrown here and there. I turned to Yao who was cleaning up a broken alcohol bottle.

"What happened here..?"

"You don't want to know, aru..." He was a little drunk himself but only slightly; enough to keep his sanity.

"Ah~ ma cherie, welcome back~" Francis glomped me from behind. He tightly wrapped his arms around my waist.

"Let go-" I blushed madly and covered my eyes. "And put something on!"

He was tugged off and someone lifted me up over their shoulder.

I sighed in relief. "Thank you, Alfred..."

"The hero will always save you." He grinned and I told him to drop me off at my room.

"HOATA~"

I twitched. "Did he just say..?"

Alfred swallowed. "He totally did..."

He tried to run but we only saw a bright flash of light around us.

* * *

><p><strong>1) I'm alive!<strong>

**2) This was so long orz;;; **

**3) I am aware of typos and grammar mistakes (which I will fix later)  
><strong>

**Yep, I'm back from hiatus. I'm really sorry for the almost-full-month delay. I'm the type that spazzes when their grades drop too much so I just had to get my distractions out of my way. Then again it's testing season so it doesn't seem like a lot of people are currently following anyway… *Cough* Anyhow, I decided to take the 'bitter' out and replace it with 'sweet' for this chapter~ I know I squeezed in a ton of things into one chapter but how was it? (Erm, I never been on a date but for Nana's sake I kind of made it into a hangout-date hybrid day so I guess it's fine...?)**

**I missed writing so so much. During my writing 'break' I came up with a ton more fun ideas after this school arc (which should end in 2-4 chapters) so I can't wait :3 **

**Also during my break I have been drawing a lot. They're only sketchbook drawings but check them out if you want ^^ (Deviantart- MiracleHeart14) **

**Oh man it's over 3,000 character naow . I'm hoping to update semi-regularly now. Ciao for now~**

**-Miracle (wow I said 'now' trice in a row…)**


	30. Chapter 29: He and She

He and She

I groaned as I got up. The last thing I remembered was the white light blinding us and Alfred tripping.

"That was not cool at all..."

"I know..." I said as I turned to the voice. Instead of seeing the blonde American with glasses, I met face to face with a girl with wavy, amber-colored hair.

"Al-alfred..?"

Her eyes widened. "N-Nana?"

I got off of her and we backed into opposite walls in the hall.

"Who are you?" we both shouted at the same time, "Who am I? I asked you first!"

I pointed at her. "Why are you a girl?"

She pointed at me. "Why are you a guy?"

"What?" I ran to the bathroom mirror and couldn't believe my eyes.

I had short hair and... some guy-styled clothes instead of the Barbie of an outfit I was wearing earlier. _My eye colors switched sides too!_ I touched the mirror and then my face.

Alfred-_Emily?_ and I marched over to Arthur, who was on the ground with an empty bottle in one hand and his wand in another.

'She' grabbed him by the collars. "What the crap did you do to us?"

He slightly cackled for a moment and his head limped to the side. He fell asleep; too stupid drunk to do anything better.

"Ve~" Feliciano went over to Emily. "Ciao~ you're a really pretty bella. Where did you come from?"

She put her hand up on his head to make him stop coming any closer. He- she looked at me with pleading eyes.

I held the Italian back. "That's enough drink for you tonight." _My voice is deeper, so weird..._

He looked up at me. "Who are you? You remind me of Nana. Where is Nana? I saw her earlier. Nana~..." He slumped to the ground and curled up into a ball like a kitten.

Ivan giggled as he chugged some more vodka. "Silly Feli, that _is_ Nana."

"Aiyah..." Yao sighed and shook his head. "Thank you for buying the pills, Alfred."

"No prob, bro." She dragged Arthur onto the couch and threw a blanket over him.

"Oh? Who do we have here?" Francis rested his elbow on my shoulder. He was checking Emily out.

I avoided looking at him until I realized that he had his clothes back on. "What did you guys do here?"

He chuckled happily. "Just a little party~ It's good to have a drink together once in a while, non?"

"No, not at all." I nudged him off. "If you're not going to fall over like the other two then could you help clean up?"

After the living room was cleared, I sent the guys to their rooms. 'Emily' let me borrow her clothes so I didn't have to feel so awkward in my own. She still settled with her own clothes though.

"Arthur's on the couch, Francis and Ivan are in their room, and Feliciano and Yao are in the other room..." I noted to myself. Alfred and I, the only sane ones, were rooming tonight.

And of course, she took the bed. I changed real quickly without wanting to think of anything and finally lay down on my bed. It was about two o'clock.

"Hey Nana."

"What?" I murmured under my sheets.

"What size do you wear?"

"...Good night."

Chirp chirp.

_"Rise and shine, Artie!" _

_"Good God, my bloody head..." _

_"Why so grouchy."_

_"Stop your shouting, America, and do not call me tha- Ah my head!" _

_"I don't know what you're talking about; you're the one that's yelling." _

_"Why in the world are you a girl?" _

_"I wonder why!" _

I sat up from my bed. _Emily still gets up really early, huh..._ I scratched my head. My heart leapt for a second but I remembered; Arthur change Alfred and my genders. My hair was so short. I don't like it.

I dragged myself out of the room, not bothering to change at all. I washed up real quick and joined the loud morning-heads in the dining room.

"'Morning..." I yawned.

Arthur sipped his morning tea, "It's 'good' mornin-" He looked up from his newspaper, "Nana?"

"Who else would it be?" I grabbed someone's toast from the toaster and sat at the table. _At least it was Sunday..._ "When are you planning to turn us back?"

He rubbed his head. "Whenever my splitting headache goes away... I absolutely cannot focus on spells with a hangover."

"Like you had any focus when you first casted it anyway," retorted Emily. She set her glass of milk down. _Not coffee?_

"Buongiorno {Good morning}~" Feliciano glomped me from behind.

I did a spit take of my orange juice at Arthur and Emily.

"Sorry..?" I laughed nervously. This was going to be a long day.

Arthur went to sleep off his hangover and Emily called in sick for work; which was probably convincing because her voice sounded so off when she tried to lower it. Feliciano went to Frosty's, Ivan had a day off, Yao went to buy groceries, and Francis decided to go shopping at the mall with some of his coworkers.

I sat back in my chair. _Homework on Sundays was always fun..._ I decided to take a break and see what the others were up to.

Emily was calling someone on the phone and returned it to the carrier when I stepped into the room.

I stretched. "Who were you calling?" It still felt so strange to be a guy. I was not used to my new voice at all. _Please go away Mr. Hangover, so Eyebrows can turn us back…_

"Feli; I asked if he could bring hot dogs during his lunch break."

I stared at her, bewildered. "Hot dogs? Don't you mean hamburgers?"

"Ehh... I'm in the mood for hot dogs." She skipped off to go rummage in the fridge.

I turned to Ivan who was coming from the hall. "Did you hear that? Alfred rejected hamburgers!"

"Oh, that's normal for Emily." He messed with my short hair and went to turn on the radio.

I just stood there. _Did I miss something?_ I opened my mouth to say something but someone knocked on the door.

"I'll get it!" Emily dashed for the door but Ivan blocked her way with his pipe.

"That may be a bad idea, comrade," he said smilingly.

"Why- Oh... Fine," she pouted and sat on the couch. She was still Alfred but appearance-wise, she was a stranger. Thinking about it, so was I. I decided to stand at the far end of the room.

Ivan answered the door and there stood Mark with an all-so-familiar-tall box.

"Privet {Hello}, Mark," Ivan took the clipboard from him.

"Hello Mr. Ivan," he tipped his cap, "How are you doing?"

"Pretty well, I have a day off from work today. And you, comrade?"

"I'm great, thank you. How are the other units?"

_Wait, hey..._ "Hold up!" I shouted. I stormed up to them and snatched the clipboard. "Forgetting someone?"

Mark's blank expression broke into a grin. "Well hello _Mr_. Yukibara; it's been a while, hasn't it?"

"Two units too long!" I growled at him. "How could you just let my units take care of all this?"

"They're operated to know the procedure anyway," Mark shrugged. "Sign please."

I grimaced at the box. "I'm not even supposed to get another unit yet."

"Are you sure? You're part of the partnership program with your friend."

I raised a brow. "Friend? Who?"

He blinked. "You haven't gotten a call?"

"What call-" I slammed my head with the clipboard. Emily must have been using the phone while the call was made.

Mark looked at his watch impatiently. "I have about five deliveries to make sir. Let's hurry it up."

"Fine, fine..." I mumbled and scribbled my signature. The deliveryman just wheeled in the box and left.

Ivan shut the door behind him and looked curiously at the box. "I wonder who this could be."

"I'm scared to know honestly..." I flipped through the manual and spotted the name. _Oh, yeah, there was something to fear..._ And it didn't apply to only me.

There was banging on the door and Ivan answered it. _Was he a doorman today?_

"You won't believe how long the line was today, aru. The new worker took forever..." Yao dumped the grocery bags onto the kitchen counter. He massaged his shoulder and froze when he spotted the box.

"Who is this now, aru?"

At that, the box started to shake. If I heard right, there was a muffled "aniki" coming from it. Yao probably heard it for he ducked behind the counter.

Ivan was already prying the box open with his pipe. When the lid snapped open, the unit popped out and hugged the first person he saw.

"Aniki!" He hugged tighter.

"Wr-wrong person!" I tried to free myself from the hyper Korean.

He paused and looked up at me. "You're not aniki... You're too tall."

_Oh really?_ He let go and looked around. "But I heard him! Where is he, daze?" He started to roam around the living room.

"The coast is not clear," I whispered to Yao. He just gave me a 'You think?' look.

There was a squeal followed by a thud. I looked up and saw Yong Soo on the ground and Emily stepping on his back.

"That is not cool, dude!" She shouted, crossing her arms and slightly blushing.

_I could only imagine..._ I squatted in front of the new unit. "Hey..."

He perked his head up, "Who are you?"

"Unit owner; I'm..." I tried to decide on what name to use, "Nana..."

"Nana? Isn't that a girl name- Ow ow ow, daze!"

I glanced at the American. "It's fine, Emily..." She stopped digging her heel in his back and stormed off to our room. _Does genderbending the units affect their personality too?_

There was another knock on the door. _Can't they open their own doors?_

"I got it!" Yong Soo jumped up and answered it.

Francis swept in with bags of what I guessed were clothes. "I'm home mes amis- Yong Soo?"

The Korean flapped his sleeve at him. "Francis is here too? Who else am I missing besides aniki, daze?"

"Oh, you'll find out eventually," Ivan giggled. He was clearly enjoying this.

Francis set his bags down. "Great, I have to go back and get more clothes."

"Oh, can I go with you? Great fashion originated in me, daze~."

The Frenchie shook his head, "New housemate..." He paused and turned to me, "Comment {How}? I thought we were not to get anymore until we'd paid."

"That's what I thought but apparently not..." I made my way to the phone to see the missed call but then the doorbell rang. _Bell this time?_ It was probably Feliciano with the hot dogs Emily wanted.

I marched to the door and opened it.

"Hey Nana, I was wonder...ing..." Ryan stared at me bewildered. And I did the same back.

"Who the heck are you?" He shouted.

"Uhh... good day." I slammed the door closed but his foot stopped it.

"Alright Alfred, Nana, I feel better now. I'll turn you guys back." Arthur called out from his room down the hall.

I held the door closed. "Start the spell or whatever it is!"

"Hey! Answer me!" Ryan kept pushing. I couldn't handle anymore force and no one bothered to help so I ran to where Arthur was.

He stepped back as he held his spell book, "D-don't rush me."

"Just do it!"

Emily walked in just in time for the spell to be casted.

But guess what.

I looked up at the towering figure of Arthur above me. I turned to Alfred, who was as young as me, wore no glasses, and had on a white gown. I groaned. _Thanks oh great level ninety-nine wizard..._

I facepalmed with my oversized sleeve. Our genders were back but we were about three years old. I was wearing that white gown too.

"Oh mon dieu..." gasped Francis.

"Oh lord..." Arthur looked away, trying to conceal his affection toward _chibi_ Alfred.

"So cute, daze!" Yong Soo lifted me up. "Too cute to be a guy!"

"Don't break _her_, aru!" Yao warned. There was his protective mode.

"Her? So Nana _is_ a girl!"

Ivan was just smiling in the corner, taking this all in. It was probably a good day off for him.

"Pwut me down," I babbled. _Can't talk right... dang it._

Ryan just stood at the door, mouth gaped wide. "What. The. Fu-"

"Not in front of the children," hissed Arthur as he picked up Alfred.

"But they, and he, and she..." he slumped into a nearby chair, "What just happened?"

I directed Yong Soo to take me to where Ryan was. He did so and I put my small hand on his head.

He looked up and blushed a little. "Is that you?"

I nodded. "What did youw want?"

He turned away for a second and mumbled something to himself. "Um... well... I got stuck on the math homework and wondered if you could help..."

_Math homework, his one weak subject in school._ "Okay. Bwut come back in an houwr." I glanced at Yong Soo and Alfred. "I have things to take carwe of..."

There was a click and some phone sound effect. Much to my dismay, Ryan took a picture of me on his phone.

So, after he left, Arthur, Yao, Yong Soo, and Francis took it upon themselves to enjoy the company of toddlers rather than working on to turn us back. _Pedos_... With Alfred's 'negotiation' of juggling the four of them, and I mean literally juggling them, Arthur finally agreed to turn us back. _Chibi Alfred's strength scares..._

"Finally..." I flipped my hair back. I didn't think I would miss by long hair so much.

"Dude, I'm a dude again!" cheered Alfred. He turned to Arthur. "Don't screw up again, old man."

"Old man? How am I an old man?"

"Messing up spells like a old wizard that can't read." He stuck his tongue out at him.

_Oh great..._ I got up and stretched upward. It was great to be a girl again.

"Your breasts belong to me, daze!"

I let out a squeal as two hands groped at me. _M-maybe not!_ "No, bad Yong Soo!" I tried to pry him off.

"Yong Soo!"

He was knocked off and I cowered behind Yao, crossing my arms. _So that's how Emily felt earlier..._

Alfred snickered. "I told you that wasn't cool, man."

"Are you okay, ma cherie?"

I nodded, although I felt myself trembling a little. I will _not_ be used to that, _never_ will.

"I'm back." I heard Ryan from behind the front door. From the window, I saw that he had his backpack and Algebra II textbook.

I marched up to him, grabbed him by the wrist, and dragged him to my room.

"If you need me, I will be with this sane human right here!" I slammed my room's door behind me.

"Okay..?" Ryan was just puzzled as ever.

_"I'm home with hot dogs~"_

_"Oh hey Feli! I want hamburgers now."_

_"Ve..?" _

* * *

><p><strong>Aiyah, crazy chapter. I had too much in mind so that would explain the rambles. <strong>

**Genderbent Nana and Alfred, yes. Chibi Nana and Alfred, yes. Yong Soo joins the party, yes. **

**(Yeah no awkwardness intended, just go with the flow... Yeah let's just do that... ) **

**I did not plan for this chapter to happen but my friend's suggestion made me want to add it in so here we go. Plus Yong Soo's here now like how I wanted so yay. As for the Partnership Program, it was also EliteKessu's idea, which she got it from another manual fic. I thought it was interesting although I didn't exactly plan on who this "friend" would be... **

**Long rambles are long rambles. Next chapter will be something a little different. **

**I'm in spring break at the moment so I'm hoping to update real soon~ (and work on my other fic... OTL) **

**-Miracle**

**ps. THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS, FAVORITES, and FOLLOWS! I'm almost at 100 reviews, I feel really honored to know that this is getting so much feedback ^-^ Like I said before, you, the readers/reviewers, are my motivation to keep writing more~ **

**[5-20-12 Edit:] Check out 00Victor's deviantart page for a "wizard england/arthur" mii~  
><strong>

**Arigatou/grazie/merci/danke/xie xie/thank you~**


	31. Chapter 30: Tainted Encounter

Tainted Encounter

"You are to go to school with Nana, Yong Soo."

His head perked up from the manga he was reading. "School? "

"Does he really need to come..?" I asked. I know he was sixteen but come on. Ryan's enough to drive me crazy.

Arthur sighed, "I need to find a solid job so I cannot attend your school after this week. We have that unit bill to work on after all."

_Oh… right…_ "…When is he starting?"

…_Today. Monday. How do you take care of registration stuff in one day? _

"Can you give me some breathing space, please?" I shook the Korean off my arm he was clinging on.

"Well I don't know where the school is so I have to stick with you, daze." He was wearing the gray and maroon uniform and his tie was on crooked.

I sighed, "Your tie…" I adjusted it so it was on right. I stepped back to see if he had any other issues. Like I said before, the school was strict about the dress code for some reason.

"Your school's uniform is so dull; why gray?" He knelt down to pick up a flower. He randomly put it in my hair and grinned in satisfaction.

I pulled it out and put it in my pocket instead. "Don't ask me, I don't know the school's history." _Maybe Lilia does? I guess I'll ask whenever I see her again…_ Lilia and Kairi's been absent for the past some days. The teachers just say they are sick but I have a bad feeling in my stomach that I just can't shake off.

"Why did we leave the house so early, by the way?" Yong Soo yawned rather loudly.

I didn't want Ryan to spot me walking with him so I decided to leave the house half an hour early. Considering how he was a slow morning person, I knew he wouldn't be out yet for a while. "You might as well get used to the school and find your classes first, right?"

My eye twitched. I compared his and my schedule and they were almost exactly the same. The elective and PE classes were switched and he took art instead of French II. _Lucky…_

"_Hey, who's that guy with Nana?" _

"_I heard he was a new student…"_

"_Is he related to her?" _

"_He doesn't look like her… maybe her cousin."_

"_He's really cute. I wonder if he's in my class."_

I grabbed Yong Soo by the ear, "Let's go explore _our_ classes…"

I sighed as I settled in the grass next to my special tree. It was finally lunchtime, but Yong Soo earned himself lunch detention already. Arthur caught him 'harassing' some girls during passing period and to teach him a lesson, he assigned him lunch detention with him. _Probably some long lecture about etiquette…_

"You look more tired than usual today." Kyle propped his crutches against the tree.

I turned to the voice that I haven't heard since Thursday. "Yeah… my 'cousin' transferred here over the weekend so I had to guide him everywhere."

"Cousin? So you finally found a relative." He sat down beside me.

_Wait, no…_ "Something like that…" I sighed. I decided to change the subject, "Where were you Friday?"

He stretched and laid back into the grass. "I decided to pay the tables a visit."

"Oh." Considering that's where he's been sitting, it made sense that he wanted to go back. I mean he wasn't going to come to the tree every day or something. _Wait what was I saying?_ I shook the thought away.

"I was helping Ryan set the facts straight. It worked so far and I believe we got the majority of the football team to forgive you."

_What?_ "R-really? How?"

He smiled, "It's easy if you got the former captain telling the story and a talkative supporter telling them otherwise."

"I'm assuming the 'talkative supporter' is me."

We looked back and saw Ryan dump his sling backpack on the ground. He smiled shyly at me for a second and then joined us in the grass patch. It felt awkward to be with him considering what happened over the weekend- the 'date' and his confession on Saturday and the 'magical incident' on Sunday. The three of us sat in silence for a moment but Ryan, as expected, broke it.

"So what's up with the new guy that started today?" He turned to me, "I heard he was your cousin or something."

I pretended to be busy opening my tangerine so I didn't have to give him eye contact. "Yeah, he's my cousin."

"I heard he's been causing the girls some problems," Kyle started, "Some mentioned he looked like someone from a show and has been stalking him while some are targeted for…" he blushed a little and coughed, "…something."

I repeatedly knocked the back of my head against the tree. _Artie, this was why I didn't want him to come to school…_

"Hey hey, don't do that." Ryan pulled me away from the tree.

I rubbed my head. "He lives under my roof so I have to take full responsibility…"

Kyle raised a brow, "What do you mean? Don't you mean your guardians?"

_Crap, he doesn't know about the 'unit' part of the units…_ I cleared my throat, "Yeah, sorry I meant my guardians."

He looked puzzled but it ended it with a shrug. There was a random buzzing noise and it turned out to be his phone.

"Gah, I completely forgot about the sports meeting." He hurriedly threw out his trash and swung on his backpack. He looked back at me, "I have to go, sorry. I'll see you tomorrow."

I watched him quickly leave. With each _clack_ from his crutches I wondered how he forgot about such an important meeting.

"Oh hey, thanks for helping me with the math yesterday."

I glanced at Ryan and went back to peeling the citrus fruit. "No problem…"

It was afterschool but unfortunately the troublesome unit earned himself another detention. I sat at the bench next to the library and yawned. Francis and Arthur told me to wait for him so here I was, just sitting here. I've done the homework I could do so I was really left with nothing. I picked up a newspaper from the stand by the door and mindlessly flipped through it.

_I wonder what's for dinner?_ I was craving for some rice since Feliciano and Alfred have been taking over dinner shifts for the past several days. I decided to call the house and see if Yao could make something with rice but realized that my phone wasn't in my bag. I searched through my it, inside and out and I still couldn't find it. I knew I brought it with me. I checked my pockets but I only found the flower, now wilted, that Yong Soo picked in the morning. Then a light bulb flashed in my head. _I probably left it in my PE locker…_ The time was almost six. Yong Soo should be out in ten minutes. I had time to go run and get it.

I jogged toward the girls' locker room just as the last of the volleyball players were leaving. They just finished their practice so the locker room was closing.

"Hey you," called out one of the girls.

"Y-yeah?" I looked back, trying to catch my breath.

"You lock up; I have to go catch a bus so I can't wait for you." She tossed me the keys.

"Sure, okay, I guess." I caught the keys and dashed into the room.

_Phone phone phone…_ Arthur gets me a phone and I lose it; how nice am I?

I went to the back where my locker was, the darkest part of the room. I pulled it open and found my phone just sitting on my PE uniform.

"Yes..." I grabbed it and shoved it in my pocket. I looked up at the red glowing numbers on the wall. 6:00 pm. I should probably get going.

I fumbled with the keys but decided to stop by the mirror hanging near my locker. I fixed my wind-messed hair. _I should probably re-dye my hair..._

I braided my blue highlighted strands and as I tossed it back, I saw a gleam behind me. I looked closer and saw a shadowed figure with a pair of shades on holding... _a knife._ The figure grinned widely and my eyes widened.

"Natsumi?"

She held the knife up and before I could turn and run, blade met flesh. Blood and torn fabric fell to the ground. She laughed ludicrously. _How did she get in? More importantly, how did she get out of jail?_

Panic-stricken, I grabbed her wrist before she could implant another blow on me. She sneered but her eyes widened when there was the sound of footsteps at the door. She grabbed my mouth to keep me quiet and shoved me down to the ground. I attempted to cry for help but she secured me tightly.

"Nana..? Are you in here, daze? The custodian told me to shut the door so hurry if you're in here."

_Help, Yong Soo!_ I squirmed in my sister's grasp but she was too strong.

"I guess she's not in here, daze," he sighed and shut the door.

Complete darkness engulfed the room. Natsumi finally released me and I gave out a cry when she pushed against my back to get up.

"What... what are you doing here?" I managed to ask. I bit my lower lip to hold the pain that was just growing and growing. It didn't feel like a deep cut but it was enough to sting and stream blood.

"Just a little game I'd like to call... payback," she reached for me but I rolled away. I could barely make her out in the dark. I crawled to where I thought the end of lockers was but I heard heels plant themselves in front of me.

She lifted me up by the shirt. "My _darling_ that you doubted so much bailed me out..."

_What a nice husband you have..._ I felt the blood drip from my back.

She snickered, "Now little sister dear...since you were disrespectful to your older sister, I'm going to have to punish you..."

I kept my eyes down. _Why was she here? Why at school?_

She pinned me against the lockers. I flinched as my bare back hit the cold, hard metal. "Why aren't you saying anything? What happened to the smart-mouthed comments you had the last time I saw you?"

I peered up at her through my bangs. I looked back down. I just couldn't. I know she harmed me two months ago but I still couldn't let go of the feeling I had then. "I miss you…"

I felt her grip loosen and the wild look in her eyes resided for a moment.

"I felt really horrible when I caused you to be locked up… Why does it have to be like this..?" I built up the courage to meet her face to face again, "Can't you come back home, onee-chan {big sister}?"

Her jaws tensed and she knocked me against the lockers again, "Do you know how hard that is? I still hate you! I…" Her grip weakened some more, "I can never go back…"

I was starting to lose consciousness from my head being knocked around and my back oozing with the red liquid. "It's your life… you can reset it whenever you want."

"I'll reset it after I'm done here, then..."

Confused at what she meant, I raised my head and saw her knife glisten from the faint light streaming through the window above. I closed my eyes as she struck down but a dull buzzing stopped her. I opened one eye and saw her pulling out her phone.

"…Yes, sir..." She snapped it shut and slipped it back into her pocket. She scoffed and grabbed my shirt's collar. She pulled it down enough to reveal my shoulder.

"What are you-" I bit my lip. She engraved her blade into my skin and formed something there.

She threw me down and put her blade into her pocket. She climbed up the lockers and opened a small window. "By the way… I was the one who poisoned your little classmates with your past..."

Then she simply slipped away into the night.

"What…" I breathed. I just laid there, grasping at what had happened. My sister was out of jail and she was after me again. She was responsible for all the corrupted rumors. _How did she know when she wasn't even around then..?_ I lifted myself up and rested against the bench. I gasped when I saw my puddle of deep red staining the ground. I was losing more blood and my vision was blurring. I managed to stand up, went straight to the shower room, threw off the remains of my top, and turned on the water. I shrieked when the ice cold water hit my skin. I held back another cry when I saw my blood drain down. I pulled off the shower head and sprayed the blood off the wash room floor. It all drained down the holes on the ground.

My clothes were completely ruined and stained. _What to do-_ I glanced at my locker. _My uniform... and I had a sweatshirt there too._ I grabbed a towel from the shelf and dried myself the best I could. I grabbed another towel and wrapped it so it would stay fitted on my back. I took my bloody towel and clothes and shoved them in a lost and found duffle bag. _I'm sorry person_. I put on my P.E. uniform and sweatshirt over the towel and suddenly I heard my ringtone go off. I looked at the caller-ID. _Arthur..._ I took a deep breath and answered.

"Nana? Where are you? Yong Soo thought you left him and came home just now."

I smiled weakly, even though I knew he couldn't see it. "I'm sorry. I decided to stop by to buy something before I got home."

He sighed in frustration, "Well, at least you told me. When are you getting back?"

_I wonder..._ "Maybe an hour. Sorry, I'll try to hurry."

"An hour? Where are you-" I hung up.

I laughed softly. How was I to get home? I could barely stay standing. I locked my locker, put the phone in my pocket, shouldered the bag, and I supported myself against the wall.

_Should I tell them now..?_ No, they had enough stress. I took a step and felt the strain on my back. It's going to be a long walk home.

I was halfway there. Several people gave me weird looks but hey, at least it was cold so sweatshirts were the norm. I glanced behind me to see if I was leaving a trail of blood. _Nope…_

Wind started to pick up and regrettably my hair was still wet from the shower. I sneezed and my vision went blank for a second. I held my head. _There were the front gates, just a little more, a little more…_

I fell over just a few paces from it. I heard voices coming from the open window.

_"I want to room with Nana today, daze~" _

_"I'm already on the couch, aru. I should have a room tonight."_

_"We really need a new house dudes." _

"_Ve~ that's a good idea."_

_"Let's just make the best of it, comrades." _

I tried to get up but my body couldn't take it anymore. My eyesight dimmed and the last thing I saw was a figure hurrying toward me.

_Kairi..?_

* * *

><p><strong>So… Yeah, I'm more satisfied with this chapter more than the previous one. I'm kinda happy I finally got to use this chapter. I've written the scene where her sister came back several months ago but I didn't know when to incorporate it in the story. (I'm sorry Nana but I can be a bit of an S… *cough*) So here's the critical pointclimax of the arc. It should be over in 2-3 chapters (no promises though. . .). **

**My spring break has ended so back to random updating times~ I'm working on my other story ****Beats**** and on a songfic oneshot relating to Prussia and Hungary (PruxHun or not, it's your opinion) :D **

**Thanks for everything readers! I be looking forward to writing for you guys more and more ^.^**

**Shameless advertising: **

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**Deviantart- MiracleHeart14**


	32. Chapter 31: Wavering Path

Wavering Path

There stood a lone girl. She had climbed over the fence that separated the interior of the roof and the ledge. The sky was tinted pink; long hours after school had ended. I didn't want to return home yet because my mother was out on a business trip. Only an empty house awaited my return. Mr. Ciro was bound to scold me for not showing up for work. I didn't want to face either of those.

I was exploring the school, while pretending to be in an after school activity. I ventured to the roof that was usually limited to seniors only for whatever reason. Perks of being a freshman I supposed.

It was a beautiful view, especially now with the sunset. But... that lone girl at the ledge bothered me. I only had a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach.

The girl suddenly staggered forward. Color drained from my face and I dashed to where she last stood. I pressed my face against the fence to see where she could have gone. My heart was rapidly beating. _Suicide...? _

I scanned the ground for any sign of her, three stories down. I fearfully clung to the fence and was about to grow desperate until I finally noticed her hanging on another ledge couple of feet down.

Her eyes read fear. She had decided that she made a big mistake.

"Stay there, I'll get you!" I started to climb over the barrier. The girl remained silent but her eyes had said enough.

I managed to get on the ledge and it was wide enough for me to kneel on it. I undid the ribbon around my neck and slipped it through one of the openings of the fence. I clung onto the cloth while I dared to lean forward. It was a scary thing and I couldn't believe I was doing this but I felt the need to do whatever I could to get her. I didn't want to watch a life flash before my eyes. _Not after I..._

I cleared the thought from my head and extended out as far as I could. "Try to grab my hand!"

She used whatever strength she had to get herself up on the ledge. After she managed to do that, she reached for my hand. I got a grip of her wrist and pulled up with all my might. They were right when they said adrenaline gives you a burst of energy because otherwise, I wouldn't have been able lift her at all.

When she was high enough, she frantically clung to my waist. I pulled us against the fence and we just stood there, trying to catch our breaths.

I heard soft muffled sobs coming from the girl. _What made her want to end her life?_ I carefully let her sit down and rubbed her back, attempting to calm her down.

I glanced down at her. She had long dirty blonde hair braided in pigtails and wore brown rimmed glasses, which were now blurred from her tears. I vaguely remember her in one of my classes but it could have just been me.

"Are you okay?" I asked after a while.

She nodded as she wiped the last of her tears. As her sleeves lowered, I saw scars etched on her thin wrist. _I wonder what's been going with her..?_

"Hey! Are you two okay?"

I turned to the voice and saw my history tutor sprinting to us. _What's Kyle doing up here?_

He stopped to catch his breath, "Lilia told me that there were two girls hanging on the ledge at the roof... Yukibara, what were you doing?"

I looked at the girl and back at him, "I was saving someone..."

He glanced at the girl and gave a frustrated sigh. "At least you two are fine." He started up the fence and reached a hand from above.

I motioned the girl to go first and she was helped over the fence. She quietly walked away and I saw her run off at the last minute. I quietly wished her luck in whatever more that came her way.

"Come on." Kyle was waiting for me as well.

"Sorry..." I muttered. I started up the fence.

A random burst of strong wind picked up and I clung on, trying not to lose grip. That didn't turn out well. I lost my footing and my arms were exhausted from the strength I use up earlier. I was knocked off but a firm hand clenched around my wrist. Kyle had made his way over and was pulling me in. I sighed in relief and tried to keep my heart from bursting from panic.

"Let's be careful..." he gently smiled at me.

I blushed at the close contact and simply nodded. Another gust of wind decided to pay us a visit and we hung on the best we could. From the corner of my eyes, I saw a white slip fly from my pocket.

I gasped, "My letter!" I reached for it- the only thing that comforted me while my mother was away. Kyle was faster. He grabbed it but his weight was unbalanced and he was barely holding onto the fence. He fell forward, I grasped his arm, but it was not enough.

Horrified, I stared at the empty blazer in my hand. I heard trees rustling below and after a moment dropped Kyle. I saw him move his arm up with the letter in hand, but it quickly dropped down.

"No!"

"Calm down, aru."

"Nana!"

I sat up, breathing heavily. I looked around my surrounding. I was in my room, on an actual bed, not at school. A shock of pain ran down my back and I laid back down, face-forward, into the pillow.

"Were you having a nightmare?"

I turned to the voice and saw Kairi looking at me with wide, scared eyes.

I thought back. It wasn't a dream. It was real. It was... "You could say that..." I wiped the sweat that had apparently formed off of my forehead.

"You were lucky she was around, aru." Yao sat crossed legged on the ground beside her. "What happened?"

I attempted to sit up and realized my sweatshirt was replaced by a tank top. I felt that bandages were tightly wrapped around my torso. I gave up and fell into the pillow again.

"Please don't strain yourself," squeaked Kairi.

_Why was she out there..?_ I turned to her. "Where have you been?"

She shuffled closer to me and knelt by the bed. "This... person kidnapped me and Lilia. It was weird because it was only during school hours..."

_Kidnapped..? _"Couldn't you have told someone about it?"

She shook her head. "She bugged us so we couldn't or else..."

"Or else what, aru?"

She gripped the ends of her skirt, "Or else she would hurt you, Nana. I didn't want her to so I tried to keep quiet the best I could. But it looks like something went wrong." She closed her eyes and bowed her head. "I'm really, really sorry!"

I stared blankly at her, trying to process it all in. "So... Lilia was in the same situation too?"

Kairi nodded.

_That would explain why she kept getting interrupted..._ I managed to get up on my elbows. "I'm sorry you guys had to get in the middle of this... sibling fight."

Kairi's head perked up. "Sibling..?"

I nodded. "Did this person have black hair in a bob cut?"

She thought for a bit and nodded. "She was really pretty too..."

_Yep, that's Natsumi for you... _"She is my sister."

"Your sister attacked you again?"

The room's door busted open and Alfred, Feliciano, Francis, Arthur, and Yong Soo fell down in a dog pile. Ivan just strode in and joined us as well.

Alfred was first to recover. "Dude, why did she attack you this time?"

Feliciano ran over to me. "Nana! Are you okay? We were so worried!"

I smiled meekly at him. "I'm fine, stop worrying..." I turned to Alfred, "And apparently it was a payback for putting her in jail..."

"I told you guys to stay out, aru," huffed Yao.

Ivan shrugged innocently. "We couldn't put still when we knew our little padrooga was in trouble."

"You could have told us..." Arthur sighed. "Especially when I had called you."

I just stuck my tongue out at him and faced the wall. I could have told them but it would have been too much trouble.

"Good thing Yao is our petit {little} medic..."

The Chinese unit nodded, "Yes- Hey!"

"You _are_ short, aniki," mocked Yong Soo. He ducked when Yao threw a pillow at him.

I moved my head and noticed Kairi smiling at me. I blushed a little. "W-what?"

She giggled. "You have a lively household."

I glance at my units. I closed my eyes and nodded. "Yeah, lively..."

After that incident, several hours had passed. It was probably midnight. I couldn't go on my back so I was stuck laying on my side or with my face down. _Not comfortable..._ I couldn't sleep. I mean I've probably slept for like for three hours but I felt wide awake now. Kairi had dinner with the guys and left a while ago. _I hope they behaved..._

I stared out in the dark room. _Was Artie going to sleep on the ground tonight?_ I imagined he was going to get sore since he would not be used to it. I laughed softly at the image of him like an old man but had to stop because my back was starting to sting. At this rate, I probably was not going to be at school for a time.

My stomach growled. I couldn't get up, or was it that I was too lazy to try.

"Great..." I muttered to myself.

As if on cue, the door creaked open. I caught a whiff of chicken soup and my stomach growled again. I blushed and hid under the blanket.

Alfred laughed. "Hungry much?"

"Maybe..." I slowly peeked out from my sheet.

He closed the door behind him and swept into the seat by the bed. He helped me up, rather too roughly, but I was still up. I took a deep breath as I leaned against the wall.

"Sleep well?" Alfred spooned some soup.

"Yeah..." I rubbed my head. "How did you guys treat Kairi?"

"Like a guest," he grinned.

"You sure?" I motioned him to give me the soup.

"Of course! Hero hospitality at its best!" He winked and fed me the soup.

I blushed and was about the protest that I wanted the bowl, not getting fed, but I was content with getting food in me. After a couple of spoonfuls, I held up a hand because he was being too fast.

I swallowed the food in my mouth. "Why are you still up? And where's Arthur?"

He had some of the soup as well. "Artie's on the couch, Yong Soo and Yao took my space, and it was time for my midnight snack."

"And you couldn't sleep..." I hugged my legs, "Scary movie again?"

"No!" He defended, "...But yeah I couldn't freakin' sleep."

I dragged myself to the edge of the bed, a long painful trip but it's worth it. "What's wrong?"

He didn't approve of me moving despite my pain and pouted. "It's cool now though..." I heard him mutter 'for now'.

I wriggled my toes in my socks. His face was concentrating hard on something. _About what though?_ I yawned. "It's okay Al..."

He sighed as he leaned back in his chair. "...I promised myself that I'll be the hero, no matter what."

I nodded. _Isn't that the usual?_

"And so I joined, well kinda joined, the police force, right?"

I nodded again. _Yes Mister Hero._

He slammed his fist into the desk. "But I... failed."

I cocked my head at him. "Did you miss something at work?"

He suddenly stood up and grabbed my shoulders. "Don't you get it? I wanted to make sure your freakin' crazy sister wouldn't attack you again! But she did! She did..." He turned away and kicked at the chair.

I let out a slight sigh. "Alfred..."

He kept his head down.

"Alfred..."

He put his hands in his hoodie's pockets.

"Mister Hero..."

At that he turned to me, a little reluctantly. "Yeah?"

I smiled at him. "It's fine..." He opened his mouth to protest but I held a hand up. "It's fine because I saw it coming. My sister was always the type to plot 'payback' one way or another..." I hugged my legs again and rested my head on it. "It's okay..."

"It's not okay at all!" Alfred shouted. "You're putting yourself in danger, life-or-death situation kind of danger." He hit the mattress with his fists. "It's not a video game, dude. You don't have twenty lives you can keep restocking on."

I kept my head in place. "I know..."

"Just let it go. I know you still miss your sister but if she's really meaning to kill you then it's not worth it anymore."

"I know..." I closed my eyes.

"No you don't..."

"I said I know!" I threw a pillow at him. It hit him in the face and he just stood there stunned for a second.

Few more seconds buzzed. Just as I was almost afraid that I broke some system in him, he fixed his glasses and picked up the pillow. He placed it back on the bed and turned to leave. "...Good night." The door clicked behind him.

My throat was starting to throb. I grabbed the pillow and threw it at the wall across from me. It only landed two feet from where I was. I buried my head against my legs again. I know I was in danger. I know my sister hated me with all her guts.

Tears ran down my face. I shook my head.

"I just don't know what to do..."

* * *

><p><strong>Gradually sloping down from the climax, here's the aftershock chapter. Nana's being… well herself and trying to avert from reality. I chose Alfred to get through to her because he stopped and made sure Natsumi was taken by the police back in chapter nine. His serious side doesn't usually show up but when it does, he wants to make sure he's the 'right' one in the argument. I know I'm rushing but I honestly want to end this arc in two more chapters. I hope it's not too rushed though (feedback please?). If anyone was confused, the first scene was Nana's 'dream'. Then she wakes up to find herself in her room with Yao and Kairi. <strong>

**Thanks for the continuous faves, follows, and reviews C: I understand it's basically testing season (including me) so I really appreciate those of you that take your time to read this manual fic! **

**Million thanks!**

**~Miracle**

**ps. Congrats SubZeroIceDragon for being the 100****th**** reviewer! Your requested one-shot should be up within a week or so. . .**

**pss. 101 reviews… I feel so honored. Interweb cookies for you all! *throws them out to you awesome readers* **


	33. Chapter 32: Absence

Absence

Weeks slipped by.

My wound, both physical and emotional, had continued to open up. Before I knew it, probably five weeks had passed. I think Halloween was around the corner. I didn't know anymore.

As far as I knew, school was closed for a week because of the bloodstains I left. Police and investigation dropped by now and then and I sent them on a wild goose chase. My sister was oppressed by society enough. She needed to be free as she could be. At least, that's what I want to think.

"Mieteru mono wo gisei ni shite..." I grabbed an apple from the fridge, "mienai mono ni te wo nobashite-... Hi."

Ivan smiled down at me. "Japanese song, da?"

I simply nodded and squeezed myself out of the little space he left between me and the door. I turned to look at him and noticed that he was wearing a flowery apron with a name plate pinned to it. "Going to work?"

"Yep." He smoothed it out and adjusted his scarf. "You are feeling better, da?"

I straightened my back until I reached my limit and shrugged. "More or less." I bit into my apple.

He didn't seem satisfied. "How about _emotionally_?"

I stared at the floor. _How was I feeling?_ I shrugged again and hopped onto the sofa. Ivan stepped into the room as well and still had the same expression. "What?" I mumbled through a mouthful.

"You've been rather... reclusive, padrooga." He sat beside me. "What's been on your mind?"

I continued to chew on my snack. "There's nothing to talk about..."

"There you go again." Ivan ruffled my hair. "Silly girl."

I shook him off. "Don't you have to go to work?"

"Da, but I can't leave when I know my potential citizen is feeling glum."

"Potential citizen?"

"I didn't say that."

"But-"

"Nope."

"Fine." I sighed. "I think you're the only one that would understand anyway." Ivan seemed pleased so I decided to continue.

I lowered the neck of my shirt, revealing my shoulder. I thought Natsumi randomly carved something there but when the scars started to become more visible, I saw that it had formed a word in katakana.

I sighed again. "She wrote 'sorry'..."

"'Sorry'?" Ivan cocked his head.

I nodded. "Ever since I saw that, I couldn't decide on whether if she really purely hates me or still cares about me..." I looked up at the Russian. "You have sisters; what does it mean?"

"Well," he thought for a moment, "I think love comes in a lot of forms." He chuckled softly. "Take Natalya for example. She 'loves' me although it's in that obsessive and creepy way and would go in harm's way to express that... But that's her way of showing her love. My other sister is through a more 'motherly' love."

_Different forms of love, huh..._ l rested my head against the wall behind me. "Do you think she forgives me?"

"That is a little hard to say." Ivan looked down at his hands. "But it would seem like she is, considering how she apologized to you." I watched as he got up and glance at his watch. "Well my little comrade, I have to go now. My little golden friends are waiting for me." He waved good bye and left.

I stared at the door. _Sisters..._

"I will be back, aru. We ran out of food and we both know certain people can't go without their snacks."

I snapped out of my trance and turned to Yao. He was wearing a jacket over a t-shirt and khaki shorts.

I tossed my apple core in the trash. "Housekeeper much?"

He grabbed the shopping bag and a list of things. "If you want things done right, you have to do it yourself."

"Right..." Last time, we had Alfred and Yong Soo buy the food. Let's just say we were snacking on chips, kimchi, and microwave dinner for a week. Yao looked at me with a worried expression for a bit then left as well.

I got up and stretched. I've done all the work Ryan and Yong Soo had delivered to me from school. I should be back by next week.

I decided to roam the house while it was peaceful and quiet. I shuffled through some papers left on the counter. They were bills and by the looks of it, we were barely making it. The water and electric bills were even higher and so was the gas bill since it was getting colder. It was an old house so excess water leaked at times. There were countless blackouts too since everyone was using too much power at once.

I rubbed the back of my neck. _We really should move..._ There were eight of us now with only three bedrooms. I wanted to ignore the fact but it was getting ridiculous now. Not to mention more units were bound to join us in the mere future.

I shook my head and saw some other papers under the bills. They were listings of houses for sale. Some were highlighted while others were crossed out. My heart sunk a little. Everyone was trying so hard to help out. It explained why they were constantly out or why Francis, Feliciano, and Alfred were working more shifts.

I inhaled sharply when I saw the prices for the houses. Even for rent it was out of our reach as of now. _I should work again..._ I decided I would see Mr. Ciro later.

I set the papers aside and yet another one fell out from the rest. I caught it and my eye twitched when I read what it was for.

"HOW COULD THEY SIGN ME UP FOR A BEAUTY PAGENT WITHOUT TELLING ME?"

It was something like a letter of approval where they told you that the sign up and everything was set and good. The pageant was in December. _A winter pageant..?_

I muttered under my breath as I crumpled up the paper. I was definitely going to bash at Francis when he got home. I walked around the house some more to let go of some steam. I kicked at the table's leg but ended up stubbing my toe instead.

"Crud!" I hopped around and rested against the counter. I rubbed my foot and flinched when the phone went off. It was some random business advertisement thing so I decided to let it go. Then something, besides the table, hit me.

I grabbed the phone after the call ended and scrolled through the voicemails. _That one call from the day I got Yong Soo... I hope it's still there..._ I sighed in relief when I saw that it was indeed still there. I hit play and pressed the old contraption against my ear.

_"Konnichiwa... Is this the Nana Yukibara residence? I am Toshiko Sato and I am your niece calling from Canada. I was recommended to send you a unit as a gift as a way to say 'Hello' to a relative I did not know I had. I came across this information from old letters I found in my attic. I hope you do not mind an extra member in your household. I hope to hear from you someday."_

I blinked as the voicemail ended. I wasn't sure if I was to be excited that I have a niece in Canada or mad at her for sending me another headache. Either way, I was speechless. _Toshiko..? I never heard of my parents mention about her before… _

The front door swung open and in strode in the perverted unit. "I'm home~"

I undid the crumpled up paper and stormed up to him. I held it up in his face.

He stood his ground although his cheery expression turned into one of panic. "I can explain, ma cherie…"

I just glared at him. "How could you?"

He lowered my arm so that the paper was out of his view. "Let's calm down first…"

I crossed my arms. "I'm waiting…"

Francis scratched his chin, "Well, _we_ thought it would be a good way to pay off the unit bill…"

I felt my eye twitch again. "_'We'_? Without my consent?"

He shrugged. "It would have been majority rule anyway."

I hung my head in dismay. _So we're running on democracy now? What did you do, Alfred?_ "You could have told me sooner…"

The Frenchie petted my head. "You already had a lot in mind so we decided to hold it off."

I sighed. I dragged myself to the couch and sat down.

Francis followed suit. "Are you ready to talk to Big Brother now?"

_Has he been waiting all this time?_ I scoffed. "I don't know, are you in that mode?"

He just smiled and sat back. "Whenever you are ready."

I stared at the coffee table in front of me. "During winter break…" I turned to Francis, "I say we move…"

He raised a brow. "Move?"

I nodded. "I've been thinking about it for a while, and when I saw the listing of houses earlier, it kind of finalized my decision."

Francis sat forward and looked at me. "Are you sure about this? Our Feliciano has been against it because he knows you treasure this maison {house} a lot."

_Feliciano..?_ I smiled a little, remembering how I begged for him to be my guardian on the first day. He is such a loyal unit. I guess that's why they say first impressions last. "Yes, I am sure. I… think I should sacrifice leaving this house rather than sacrificing my life with my sister. We should move away from this area… let's say to Canada where I apparently have a niece." I chuckled to myself.

"Canada would be a nice place to live," Francis smiled, "Nice and quiet like my little Mattieu {Matthew}…"

I was not sure how to take that last part and cleared my throat. "…Do you agree with me though? About moving?"

He put an arm around my shoulder and rested his head against mine. "Oui {Yes}…"

I blushed but made no effort to push him away. More thoughts were cycling through my head now. _Now I need to tell the rest... and the guys at school… _

"But on one condition." Francis played with my hair.

I looked up at him, "What do you want?"

"You have to do the pageant~."

I blushed again and shoved him to the side. I crossed my arms and faced away.

"Fine…"

* * *

><p><strong>Shorter update than usual ^^; <strong>

**Soo… just to get it out of the way, my excuses for the late update is that I was busy with testing and exams and I lost my motive. Now that I'm all done and with about two more weeks left of school, I'm pretty free (and pumped).  
><strong>

**I decided this should be an intermission chapter in a way. To clear up confusions, it's a time lapse to about five weeks later. We were stuck in August-September for so long so I took that 'why not?' chance (it's October now). **

**Anyway, don't worry this whole school arc is ending with one more chapter. (And I'm not good with endings just so you know.) **

Now here is a little question for my lovely readers:

**Should I continue to the next 'arc' with this story or stop and make a sequel? **

**My take on both sides: continue because it's still Nana and her life with the units, but a sequel because A Slice of Bittersweet Life centers mainly on Nana's issues with school (if you think about it). **

**I left a poll on my profile but feel free to also let me know in the reviews ^^ **

Thank you for the reviews, follows, and favorites~ Those alerts cheered me up during my testing days :D

(oh and internet cookies to those who know what song Nana was singing in the beginning!)

(double oh, "Toshiko Sato" belongs to EliteKessu)


	34. Chapter 33: Out of the Dark

Out of the Dark

I bit on my pencil as I worked through some chemistry problems. Yao's medicine let me heal faster than I would have in the hospital so I was finally back in school. I looked three seats in front of me to where Yong Soo was. He was doodling at the corner of his notes, again. I shook my head and went back to my own work. The bell soon rang and people filed out of class, though, it was not everyone.

_"Hey Nana! How you been? Remember me from elementary?"_

_"Are you feeling better?"_

_"Do you want to hang out with us during lunch?"_

_"Want to come to my birthday party this Saturday?"_

I just smiled politely and tried to make my way out. "I-it's okay guys, maybe some other time—"

Yong Soo grabbed my arm and pulled me out of the small crowd. I sighed in dismay as we headed toward our next class.

"Are you okay, daze?"

I adjusted my bag. "I honestly don't know..." I was glad that everything was finally cleared up but just the attention everyone gave me... it was all overwhelming. They respect me better because they now know that I made no serious faults, and they also saw me as a brave person for going through the whole incident in the locker room. "I'm no hero..."

"That's Alf's job anyway." Yong Soo yawned.

"By the way…" I leered at him, "Have you been staying out of trouble?"

He coughed and pointed out the window. "Look, a bird!"

I elbowed his side and he doubled over in pain. "I'll take that as a no."

…

During break period, I decided to go wander around the places that were usually isolated since I did not want to run into many people, namely Ryan or Kairi. It was nice of them to visit me practically the every day that I was out but I felt like I needed some personal space today. Waves and smiles came my way but I tried to ignore them. _Carry on as usual Nana; just carry on as usual..._

I turned to a corner and came across a door that led to the stairs up to the roof. It was usually locked until lunch but for whatever reason it was slightly ajar. Curiosity bit at me and I decided to see what was up. I made sure no one was watching and slipped through the door.

I looked around. It was the same as it was last year when I decided to go up to the roof, with the exception of some Student Council posters taped to the wall. I had vowed to never come back but after that flashback of a dream, something told me that I should.

I slid my finger across the railing. _Well, I wonder what's here..._ As I approached the steps, I heard muffled sniffling noises. I glanced up and stepped back until I found someone sitting at one of the higher steps.

_Should I..? _I accidentally bumped into a random fire extinguisher that was apparently on the wall.

"Who's there?" A voice shouted. It resounded boldly for someone who was crying just now.

_Too late... _I started to make my way up but I was shocked to find who it was.

"Yukibara?" Savannah quickly wiped her tear-stained face with a tissue. Her mascara was all smeared and her usual Barbie appearance was absent. "What are you doing here?"

I rubbed the back of my neck. "I would like to ask you the same thing." _Savannah of all people… Did she have a bad break up or something?_

She turned away and hurriedly tried to fix her makeup. "I know what you're thinking. It's pathetic. But you know what," she made a fist, "I don't give a—"

I held up my hands in defense. "You're mad, I know."

Her shoulders tensed up. "Everyone freaking hates me now thanks to _you_. I can't even show my face out here anymore." She faced me again, her visage fixed with the makeup but torn from her rage. "It's all because of you! Why can't you just disappear forever?" She stormed down to me but missed a step and fell forward.

I caught her and was surprised that she did not pull back. Shocked, I looked down at her and she was crying again. _What have I done…_ I sat us down on the steps and I waited for her to calm down.

After a while, I hesitantly took a tissue from her pocket and attempted to wipe her tears away, only to end up accidentally rubbing some of her makeup off. She still didn't fight it but instead avoided to look at me. _It must have been really hard for her—Hm? _I lifted her chin and studied her face carefully. Then it finally hit me. The images in my head were not playing jokes on me.

"Are you..."

"It's about time..." She slapped my hand away and faced away from me.

I just blinked and just stared at her back. _Savannah's... she... but..._ "Why? What happened to you?"

The girl I saved last year crossed her arms. "I wanted to see you..." she sniffed, "I wanted to thank you... but," she gave a deep sigh, "you just disappeared on me."

It was true. I never went back to school after Kyle took his fall. But I had no idea. "I'm so-"

"It's too late for that!.." She shook her head. "With the new confidence in life you evidently gave me, I decide to give myself a makeover... I made top marks in my classes too... I became so popular."

I felt myself lean against the wall. _I put her through this much trouble? I thought she only hated me just because..._

Savannah kicked at the stair, "I tried to find you every day, discreetly of course, but I had no luck. Then I met your sister..."

My head shot up. "My sister?"

"Yeah. She told me everything about you... then as a payback for leaving me she suggested that I should turn the school against you. With that whole rooftop incident, there was enough evidence of course..."

I got my composure back and made a fist.

She continued, "I had enough power so I wasn't surprised it worked—"

I wrapped my arms around her and held her in an embrace. I heard her gasp and she trembled a little. I smiled slightly. "Stop being a drama queen and cut to the point."

"S-shut up."

"You just missed me."

"Shut up..."

"I'm sorry, Savannah."

"Shut… up…"

Sometimes you had to be the bigger person and break down walls of hostility. She started weeping some more. _Little drama queen..._ "I have to apologize for something else in advance."

She looked up at me directly for the first time today. "What, why?"

"I have to..."

…

I was almost late for my next class since I didn't realize the bells were ringing. _I swear that area is soundproof..._

Yong Soo glomped me from behind after we were released for free time. "Where were you, daze? Me and Lilia were looking for you."

"I had to talk to a teacher..." I swung my head back into his chin as I felt his hands making their way up.

"Ow!" he cried and buried his chin in his hands.

"That's what you get..." I growled. I packed up my stuff and turned to him. "And I was reading everyone's manuals while I was out… Aren't you supposed to be eighteen?"

He just grinned and gave a "shh" notion. I didn't bother to ask him why.

...

"Lunch time!" Yong Soo glomped me again but this time managed to tackle me to the ground. I groaned in pain. "Yong Soo..."

I heard laughter around me. I raised my head and saw Ryan, Kyle, Kairi, Lilia, and Savannah standing by the tree.

I blushed and kicked Yong Soo off. I fixed my uniform and cleared my throat. "Hello there..."

"Hey," Kyle smiled and sat next to me. "You sure like to play hide and seek."

"S-so what. I needed some space anyway." I dusted some dirt off my knees.

"Ryan was getting worried again," teased Kairi.

"W-was not!" he defended.

Lilia and the rest joined us in the grass as well and started on their lunches. I noticed that Savannah was still timidly standing.

"Scared of some grass?" I patted at the patch next to me.

"No!" She crossed her arms. "I just don't want to get all dirty..."

_So girly…_"Suit yourself," I shrugged. I opened my lunch but Yong Soo snatched it and took my bag of chips. "Hey!"

"I forgot my lunch~" he whined. I just flicked my wrist at him and he helped himself to some Lays.

"Come on, Savannah," beckoned Kyle. I saw her blush a little and reluctantly joined our circle.

I panned my gaze across the scene. I have to admit that I was pretty amazed. Just two months into the school year and I was already surrounded by many people that cares about me. Not units that are delivered at my door but actual people.

I felt a certain warmth in me that had been long absent for who knows how long. I realized that I wasn't alone anymore. I realized that I was laughing along with them. I had friends at school and a family waiting for me at home. But what a shame; I had to leave in a month and a half. I was grateful for their comfort and support and I was glad that I cleared up the tension with Savannah. Everything was good now.

"Nana?"

I gasped when someone threw an empty milk carton at my head. Everyone played the blame game and fingers were all directed toward Ryan. I gave him a smirk and threw it back.

"Is everything all right?" Kairi looked at me with her usual worried expression.

"Does your back hurt again?" asked Yong Soo.

I shook my head. "Just spacing out. Nothing to worry about." I gave them a meek smile.

I made progress. That's what I was pleased of. I overcame obstacles. Now I have new ones at hand; a lot more focused on my physical life than my emotional, personal life.

I was out of the dark now. I was satisfied.

_From the ashes of the flames that had once engulfed all that was around it grew small buds of flowers. The white rose was no longer alone. Rays of hope shone down on it, and the dew beaded on the petals gleamed like tiny crystals on a sheet on velvet snow. _

…

It was time to live on again.

* * *

><p><strong>The school arc's officially over (you may now rejoice). <strong>

**I know it this chapter was short but I really didn't know what else to write. **

**So yes, Savannah was the girl that tried to commit suicide. She was saved and wanted to thank Nana but she was gone from shock. Savannah had idolized her but when she found out that her "hero" was no longer around, she felt dejected. She moved on with life by changing herself completely but she was not satisfied because she was still hurt emotionally. Nana's sister somehow convinced her to make Nana suffer by making her the "bad guy" and turn the school against her for almost killing Kyle. **

**Now that is cleared, like Nana said, it's time to move on. I already hinted at the new problems she has in hand (new house, beauty pageant, etc). **

**I promise that this next arc will be more unit-centric! (Too much OC's moments...) It'll be like the earlier chapters of this story, more interactions with (all of) her units :) **

**So yes, according to the poll, "keeping all my chapters here" won so I shall continue posting in this story. After the (June) 7****th**** I will be free from school! I'm hoping for a weekly update since I have no life but full of ideas :D **

**Thank you a bunch for the continuous faves, reviews, and follows~ **

**-Miracle **


	35. Chapter 34: Persisting Chaos

Persisting Chaos

"Hurry hurry hurry hurry hurry!" Alfred honked on the car's horn.

"Calm down! I barely got my bag in the car!" I shouted at him as I swept through the front gates.

It was winter break now. Midterm finals were done and school transfer was ready to take place, although we didn't exactly know where we were moving yet.

While I was clearing my room, I found the tickets to Animecon that were from the unit delivery service. The convention was taking place this weekend so I decided to start off the break with this. I chose to take Alfred since he was the most "otaku" out of the rest, next to Francis.

"Nanaaaaa, hurry!" He kept honking the horn.

"Stop it before the neighbors start complaining..." I sat my butt into the passenger seat and secured on the seatbelt. Alfred rented a nice car with a pretty good deal thanks to his police chief.

I yawned. It was about five in the morning and Alfred had to _literally_ drag me out of bed. Everyone else was still fast asleep but Francis and Ivan were seeing us off.

"Erm, be careful you two." Francis looked uneasily at Alfred.

"Don't let the hero get too excited, da?" said Ivan smilingly.

"Oh, what's the big deal?" Alfred started the engine. "You guys know I can drive safely, being in the law force and all."

I just shook my head. "I think they mean when we're _at_ the convention..." I could imagine him spazzing out over the smallest of things and I would have to struggle just to keep up with him.

"Let's go!" Alfred pulled out of the driveway and we made our way out to Los Angeles.

_"Hey... hey..."_

I jolted awake and slammed my head against the window. "Oww..."

"We're here!" Alfred smacked my arm excitedly and got out of the car.

"Oh." I rubbed my sore forehead and got out as well. I stretched and looked around the parking lot. I saw a whole lot of people in cosplay, enough to feel weird that you're the only one without some costume.

"Catch!" Alfred threw my duffle bag at me and I caught it with a thud. Inside of it was my cosplay. _Such a pain..._

Alfred had basically forced me into choosing something to wear. First the guys suggested that I wear their uniforms to cosplay as them but they didn't fit well, size and just plain image. Alfred then went through the trouble of searching characters with heterochromia. In the end, it all came down to this person—Black Rock Shooter.

Alfred ran from the hotel nearby and told me he got us a room to stay in for the night. We grabbed our things, locked up the car, and made our way to our room. _If it only went smoothly though..._

_"Oh my gosh! Is that America?"_

_"It is! That's a really good cosplay!"_

_"A genuine guy too! He looks exactly like him!"_

_"Talk about dedication."_

I looked up at Alfred and he was just grinning happily, basking in the glory. I nudged him. "Enjoying yourself—"

"America! Say cheese!" A camera flash went off, leaving me blind for a split second.

I blinked as couple of other fangirls started to surround him. Now out of reach, I just shook my head and texted him that I would be going ahead.

The room was on the fourth floor with one bed, a side table, and a window facing the parking lot. The view wasn't so bad. I could see the colorful costumes that the people are wearing. _Speaking of which..._ I stared at my duffle bag. _Please kill me after this... metaphorically_. I dragged it with me to the bathroom. _Oh look, star shaped soaps_.

About fifteen minutes of pondering, hesitating, and waiting, the room's door clicked open with familiar footsteps resounding soon after.

"The hero's finally here!" I heard Alfred heave himself onto the bed. He sounded exhausted but there was also a satisfied sigh coming from him.

"About time." I stared at the mirror, still locked in the bathroom. I ran my fingers through one of my pigtails. I felt ridiculous but at the same time surprised at how the character suited my look.

"Hey, come on out. I want to see how you look!"

I pulled down my black V-neck. I was not comfortable with the original character's wear so I decided to go with a tank top instead. I took a deep breath and walked out of the bathroom.

"Whoa," Alfred sat up on the bed, "It totally fits you!"

I avoided eye contact and blushed. I crossed my arms. "B-be quiet."

"Aw come on~ it was totally meant for you."

I turned to glare at him but realized that his clothes were half torn. "What the heck happened to you..?"

He just laughed. "It's not always easy being the hero."

"Right..." _Violent fangirls_… "Anyway, what is your cosplay? You never told me."

At that, he instantly jumped off the bed and grabbed his bag. He dashed to the bathroom and five minutes later, came out with his costume on.

I looked up from the messenger bag I was going to carry around. "Who are you and what have you done to Alfred F. Jones?"

The said unit presented a goofy smile and the "ILY" sign on both hands. "I'm Ronald Knox!"

I stifled a laugh. Ever since I saw Ronald, I always thought that he looked like Alfred. "It's perfect for you."

He wore different glasses and a black suit. His hair stuck out to the sides while the back part was dyed black.

I raised a hand. "How did you dye your hair so fast?"

"It was already black, dude." He ruffled my hair. "I did it last night, silly. Guess you were too sleepy to notice."

I stepped out of his reach. _Is that so…_ "When are we going?"

He grabbed my arm. "Now!"

"Wait, wait, what—?"

After two hours of zipping from one stand to another and waiting in line for whatever goods, I was dead tired. I spotted an empty bench at the side. I tugged at Alfred's sleeve and pointed a wearily finger at the spot. "I'm going to wait over there…"

"Tired already?"

I nodded.

He dumped some of the stuff he was carrying onto me. "Could you hold onto these while you're waiting then? Thanks!"

I toppled over to the bench and placed the pile of things to the floor next to me. I gave out a heavy sigh and rested my head against the wall behind me. _Finally… my legs…_ I went to see where "Ronald" was and he disappeared into some crowd. My attention next went to the small pile of free and not-so-free stuff we collected throughout the time. I only got a mere fraction of things while somehow Alfred was able to afford a bunch of other goods. _Conventions are crazy and tiring…_

"Hey, nice cosplay!" a passerby smiled at me and gave me a thumbs up.

"Thank you." I blushed. _I-it's nothing compared to some other people I've seen…_ I pulled up my legs and hugged them because I was getting a little cold. The shorts and long boots did not help at all, especially since it was winter time.

"Hey," I looked up to find a small group of people gathered in front of me. They were also clad in Black Rock Shooter- related cosplay. "Can you join us in our picture?"

"Umm… sure." I got up and awkwardly stood at the end in the group shot.

A girl cosplaying as Dead Master smiled at me. "You look really cool. The tank top was a good idea." She giggled and nodded at her friend who was also Black Rock Shooter. She was wearing the actual top worn by the character and she looked cold.

I just shrugged. "Better safe than sorry, right?"

"Yep," she laughed. "Hey, if you're going to cosplay again, you should try Ruko Yokune. With those different colored eyes and blue highlight, you kind of look like her."

_Ruko Yokune? Sounds like a Vocaloid or something…_ "Umm… thanks, I'll think about it."

"No prob!" The girl waved 'bye' at me and went to catch with her group.

_Well that was interesting…_ I sat back down on the bench and picked up a random manga from Alfred's bag.

After about an hour, my stomach started to growl. I looked at my phone for the time. It was around one and I barely had any breakfast earlier. I had an apple danish in the car on the way here but I only ate half because I was more tired than hungry then. _Why didn't I bring it with me?_ I returned the manga in the bag and stood up from the bench. I scanned the area to see if I could find Alfred. All I kept getting were false alarms because about five other people had also chose to be Ronald Knox.

I decided to call him instead. Two tries later, I realized that his phone was among the stuff that he piled on me. _Oh, come on…_ I groaned and decided to wait for him since I did not want to leave the stuff behind, or bother carrying them while waiting in line for food. I lazily searched the crowd in front of me and spotted another Ronald cosplayer. _Naturally blonde… blue eyes… laughing like America… Found him!_

I asked the people sitting near me to watch our things for a bit and ran into the main room. I swam my way through people and stands and finally caught up with Alfred.

I took his gloved hand and pulled him back. "Come on, I waited forever and you forgot your phone. I want food…"

"Okay, dudette." He obediently followed. _Dudette? That's new._

I thanked the people watching over the stuff and the two of us headed to the food court. We somehow ended up at a mini café and menus were placed in front of us. The names of the food were anime-related, which was cool and strange and interesting at the same time. I decided to go with the omelet since I haven't had one of those in ages and because it was the cheapest. Alfred went with hamburger and fries as expected.

He leaned forward and propped his elbows on the table after the waitress left with our orders. "So, come here often?"

I choked on my soda. "What do you mean? You know it's the first time I've been to any convention."

"Do I?" He raised a brow. "Sorry, then dudette. Your cosplay's pretty sweet though." He wiped my mouth with a napkin, making me blush.

I pushed his hand away. "You're the one who picked it out for me, remember..?" _Okay, what's going on..?_ "Are you feeling ok—"

"Finally some grub!" he cheered as his dish was placed in front of him. He went onto stuffing his mouth.

"Hey—" My stomach growled. _…I'll ask him later…_ When we were done eating, I pulled out my wallet to pay for my half.

Alfred held up a hand. "No man, I'll pay for it all."

"Are you sure? You bought a lot of things out there…" I picked out my bills. He shook his head and he ended up buying my part of lunch too. We walked out of the mini café with our things in hand.

I glanced up at him suspiciously. "Why did you do that?"

He just grinned at me. "I treated you for lunch since you were starving and seemed lonely."

"Lonely? You're the one who left me for over an hour," I protested.

He cocked his head to the side. "I know I left someone but this is the first time I've met you."

I stopped walking. "Wait, what?" I looked at him over and it was definitely the Alfred I was with earlier. _Same cosplay, same suit, same hair, same glasses, same personality… _I was totally confused. "W-what is my name?"

"Oh! I never asked for your name! What is it? You seem to know mine already." He smiled warmly at me.

I was in utter shock. I had somehow picked up the wrong Alfred. _Was there another unit owner?_ "I-I'm Nana."

"Nana, huh? Nice name!" He grinned at me. "You're Japanese like Kiku then!"

I stiffly nodded. "So, umm… are you a Hetalia unit?"

"Yep."

"Is your owner here too?"

"Yep."

"Do you know where they are?"

"Nope."

I sighed. "Then let's look for your owner… What is their name?"

"Megan; she's cosplayed as SeeU and she's this tall." He set his hand about four inches below my height.

"Thank you for the details…" I walked forward. _Let the search begin—_

"Al!"

"Nana!"

I jumped at the voices and we swung around. A girl in SeeU cosplay came running to us and behind her followed a Japan and another Ronald Knox. When she came close enough, she tackled the Alfred that was with me to the side.

She made a fist. "Where the heck were you?"

He staggered back up, holding his hip. "Firstly, ow! And second, I took this cute girl out for lunch."

I blushed at 'cute' and scooted to my Alfred unit. I handed him his phone. "Don't ever leave without this again…"

He scratched his head. "Sorry, dude." He laughed nervously. "I got caught up talking with Kiku here and was somehow dragged along by that crazy chick."

The SeeU girl finished punishing her unit and turned to me. "Hola! Thanks for finding my unit."

I smiled timidly at her. "And thank you for finding mine."

She laughed. "No probs. Weird how they look exactly alike, huh?"

I nodded. It was a weird coincidence. "I'm just happy to find another unit owner like me. I thought I was the only one around here."

"You might have been since I'm from the east coast." The shorter girl shrugged. "I got free tickets and decided to pay a visit to LA."

"Hai, she was very excited for this day."

I turned to the Japanese unit. He was decked out in otaku gear like his owner, minus the cosplay. I turned back to Megan. "You're very lucky to have a Japan unit. All I have are the crazy Allies plus Italy and Korea…" _I feel like I'm talking about action figures or something…_

She hugged his arm. "I know~ I was only going to bring him but Alfred kept bugging me." She kicked the American one last time. My Alfred decided to stay behind me.

I guessed that he went through that torment earlier when he was with her. "W-well, this is my first convention so I brought Alfred to guide me through… but that was only tiring."

Her jaw dropped. "Primero {First}? Seriously? This is like my seventh one."

"Wow…" I rubbed the back of my neck. _That's pretty amazing… _

She waved her hand in front of my face. "Ello? Anyone home?"

I snapped out of my daze. "Sorry… I didn't have much sleep."

"No worries, I didn't either." Megan fixed her cat ears and wig in front of the window. When she was done, she grabbed her bag. "Well then! Since it's your first time, want to see what my personally favorite stands are?"

I turned to my Alfred unit. He shrugged. "Why not? It'll be fun!" He linked arms with his 'twin', who linked arms with Kiku.

I shrugged as well. "Why not? Lead the way then."

Megan smiled in triumph. "Let's go!"

So, after snaking through crowds, losing the Alfred units again, playing games, and attending panels, it was about seven o'clock. We all decided to call it a day and returned to the hotel. It turned out that they were staying at the same place and the same floor as us. We all gathered in my room and ordered pizza.

"That was pretty fun." Megan had taken off her large wig, revealing her medium length, wavy brown hair. She leaned against the bed and continued eating her slice of pizza.

I nodded as I ate some fries. "It was. Thank you for showing me around."

"You're welcome! Still can't believe that it was your first convention, ever." She smacked her Alfred's hand as he was trying to steal her pepperoni.

I leaned over to Kiku. "She's a bit… violent, huh..?"

He just nodded. "Hai, but that is her nature so we cannot blame her. You should see her when she has her baseball bat."

_B-baseball bat?_ "Ah…" I wiped my hands on my napkin. I looked over at Alfred number two and he was already collapsed on the bed, sleeping happily after the long day.

Megan yawned. "I think I'm gonna call it a night. Me and the others are going to check out LA some more tomorrow and then go home."

I yawned as well. "I have to go straight home and prepare for…" I hung my head at the thought of it, "…something."

She threw her stuff away. "Something?"

"Yeah, just something." I laughed nervously. "It's nothing, sorry." I got up and dumped my stuff too. I opened the door for them. "It sounds like you guys have a long day tomorrow so you should all have a good night's rest."

She looked at me suspiciously but shrugged it off. "If you say so. Come on you two." Her units filed out of the room. Before she walked out, she smiled up at me. "It was fun, Nana. I wonder if we'll randomly meet again at some convention."

I blushed a little. "I doubt it…" Her face became discouraged so I cleared my throat. "I mean we'll see! It was great hanging out with you!"

She laughed and socked me in the arm playfully. "I kid, I kid." She stepped out with her wig in hand. "Bye and have a good night!"

"Good night."

I watched her run down the hall to her room. She gave me one last wave and shut the door. I closed mine too and let out a sigh that I did not know I was holding. I felt myself smiling as I turned around, facing the room. It was a really fun day.

I changed out of my outfit and into a tee-shirt and pajama pants, brushed my teeth, cleaned the room, and packed up all of our stuff. I slumped onto the bed in exhaustion. Then I remembered that Alfred was already there. _I'm stuck on the floor then…_

I gently crawled on the bed to reach for a pillow but a heavy arm swung over me. I was stuck between Alfred and the pillow. I madly blushed at the close contact but was too tired to fight out of it.

_Oh well…_ My heavy eyelids closed.

He wasn't Francis after all.

* * *

><p><strong>Whoo animcon!... Yeah I know it was pretty boring, uneventful, and time skippy. Sorry OTL I never been to a convention but I had to use that ticket eventually… (and long chapter is long orz;;; )<br>**

**I played around with Nana's appearance and debated over Black Rock Shooter and Ruko Yokune. While Ruko actually looked like Nana (I was really amazed), I decided to go with the more familiar Black Rock Shooter. Alfred's was pretty easy since Ronald Knox (from Black Butler to those who don't know) seriously looks like him; probably overused but hey, he's still a person himself so I don't think he would like going as himself. **

**This and the next one to two chapters will be fillers :) I need time to develop my next major plot orz;;; **

**So yeah, I hope you enjoyed this one way of another!**

**ps. Megan belongs to Swirly592! I'm sorry if Megan wasn't written out well. I will fix it at your request!**

**(No, LolliDictator did not make a Japan manual but she requested to be with Japan at the convention. I stuck Alfred in there just because...) **

**pps. EliteKessu and I are working on a collab story called "The Outgoing and the Shy" (my account). Check it out while it's still short :D **

**ppps. Thanks for the continuous faves, follows, and reviews! ^^**

**pppps. You all get cookies for putting up with this lengthy chapter~  
><strong>


	36. Chapter 35: Training in Session

Training in Session

"Back off!"

"Aww~ come back."

"You know we don't bite, ma cherie."

"Feliciano might not but I'm pretty sure _you_ do!" I leapt onto the couch and slipped behind Ivan, who was simply reading a book.

Francis had a measuring tape in hand. "Now now, we just want to know your dress size."

I peeked over Ivan's shoulder. "Sure you do, you pervert..." I blushed. _He deliberately swiped his hand across my butt!_

He held up his hands in defense. "I won't do anything. Alors {Here}, I'll measure you right here where everyone is watching."

I bit my lower lip and sighed. "Back to the room..."

Francis and Feliciano headed back while I followed behind. I grabbed Yao's wrist on my way and dragged him with me, for safety and sanity precautions.

My "training" schedule was like school all over again. Each room in the house was for different lessons. My room was for learning basic pageantry. The next room was with Arthur and etiquette. The other room was with Yao and health, specifically food diet and nutrition. The final bedroom was for practicing public speech with Yong Soo and Ivan as the 'audience'. For the talent portion of the pageant, the living room was to be used as the dance room. Then outside was fitness with Alfred.

"Nine... ten... eleven... twe... twelve..." I slumped into the grass. It was my third set of twenty pushups.

"Dude! You had three more!" Alfred laid on his stomach to be level with me. "Giving up so easily?"

I raised my head and blew a leaf off my nose. "You know I'm not that strong..."

"And that's why we're doing this!" He got up on his feet and helped me up. "So enough of boring pushups. Let's do some jump ropes." He handed me the ropes.

"How many?" I took them and adjusted them to my height.

"Three sets of a hundred!" He started rapidly doing his set.

My jaw dropped. _What?_

When we were all done, I staggered into the living room and collapsed onto the couch next to Feliciano. He set his kitten on my back. "Ve~ you're trying really hard."

"I don't have a choice. Those bills need to be cleared and it's too late to cancel the registration..." I looked up him in desperation, "but I don't think I can keep it up for another week."

"But, but the pageant is coming up!" The cat jumped off my back from his exclamation.

I sat up. "Why is all of this necessary anyway? Can't I just be myself?" Hours and hours of this only irritated me. Sure the public speech and dance practice were important but the rest was just a waste of time. I was aware of most of the stuff already on the most part.

Feliciano patted my shoulder. "You should tell them. They won't know if they don't know, right?"

I nodded and sighed. He was right. There was no need for all this.

So by week two, the guys laid me off easy and we searched for my dance partner. My units were too old to participate and while Alfred could, he did not want to do any formal dancing. After several open tryouts and ask bouts, it came down to this one person.

I crossed my arms and leaned back in my chair. "So… are you willing to do this?"

Ryan smiled widely and crossed his arms as well. "Of course I am."

"Well," Francis started, "he was the best one out of the whole session." It was a truth that I refused to believe. I had no choice but to accept him or else my unit ownership would be in jeopardy.

I sighed and stuck a hand out. "Congrats, _partner_."

"Aw, cut the formality." Ryan gave me a hug instead and I just stood there, blushing. After when I thought he was holding on for too long, I nudged his ribs and he backed off.

I glanced to the side. "J-just don't fail on me."

"I'll do whatever I can for you."

"Your breasts belong to me~!"

"Yong Soo!"

Two awkward practice days had passed. By the third day, we got a little used to it but something didn't feel right.

"Hey…" We were taking a little break after Arthur told us that he had to go do something. He and Francis were the instructors. It was hilarious watching them dance but Ryan naturally found it awkward. _Hetalia fans have an advantage there I guess…_

Ryan looked up from his water. "What's up?"

I looked at him curiously. "Are you really up to his ballroom-type dance thing?" It did not seem like something he would even think about doing, plus I even found it boring myself.

"Eh…" He shrugged. "Not really but it's something we gotta do, right?"

"I guess…" I kicked at a cushion on the floor. "But I feel like I want to make it a bit more… exciting. I think anyone could do something like this if they tried."

He sat forward and grinned. "I was thinking the exact same thing!"

I nodded. "At least we're on the same page…" I sat back in the couch. "Maybe—"

"Have you two finished your practice?"

Ryan and I jumped when Arthur walked into the room. We quickly nodded at him. He looked at the clock and then at us. "It's still quite early. Are you certain you are done?"

"Y-yeah, we got tired since we tried extra hard today." Ryan fanned himself.

I laughed nervously. "Exhaustion from the practices is starting to build up."

The Brit stared at us suspiciously and then shrugged. "Well, don't overexert yourselves." He picked up his teacup from the table and walked back into the hall.

I quickly turned to my partner. "He cannot know that we're changing the dance…"

He cocked his head. "Why not?"

"He's not really reasonable when it comes to these things…"

"Oh."

"So we got to do this in secret."

"Do what?"

I led him to Alfred's room. Luckily it was empty since both he and Feliciano were out for work while Yong Soo went somewhere with Francis. I turned on the computer and pulled up Youtube.

"We can look for some dances here."

"Oh!" He smirked. "I didn't think you were the sneaky type."

I shrugged. "I have my days." I hovered my hand over the keyboard, trying to figure out exactly what to search. I tried modern waltz and modern ballroom dancing but they were just as plain. I let Ryan take over.

"How's this?"

The music was really upbeat and fast, but not really suitable for an event like this pageant. I shook my head. "We need calmer music or else we'll upset those fancy people." He frowned and continued his search.

I sighed and decided to scan the place since I haven't really paid attention to any of the guys' rooms. It was messy but considering it was shared by three careless people—Alfred, Yong Soo, and Feliciano, it was understandable. Some manga and DVDs were lined up on a shelf and clothes thrown here and there. The beds weren't made either, except for what I was guessing Feliciano's. Then something caught my eye.

_Vocaloids..?_ I cocked my head. _They do have a lot of dances to their songs…_ I went through the songs I knew in my head and picked out the ones with calmer music. I turned to Ryan. "Hey, I have an idea."

"What is it?" He moved aside so I could sit in front of the computer.

"Do you know Vocaloid?" I wrote down the songs I had in mind on a scrap of paper and started to search to see if they had dances.

He scratched his head. "Yeah… vaguely. What about it?"

"Well… they have a lot of interesting dances and I thought maybe we could mix the dancing we're doing now to some of the moves in those dances." I clicked on the dance for Risky Game. We watched the first two minutes of it and I turned to Ryan for feedback.

He made a face. "I think it's too focused on the words to the song and no one will understand what the heck their saying." He shrugged. "The dance's nice I'll give it that much, but too focused on words."

_True…_ "Fine fine." I looked up Scissorhands next. We went through the whole video, just stuck in amazement.

"Okay…" Ryan ran his hand through is hair, "the chick was awesome!"

I laughed nervously. "I'm sure I can't move that fast…" _She looked really cool… And the guy could move just as much…_

He chuckled and patted my back for comfort. "The music's jazzy like those… Roaring Twenties or whatever it was called."

I shook him off. "Yeah, I don't think it's that bad."

He leaned over to see the paper. "So what's the other song?"

I blushed. _Bad choice now I think about it…_ "It's—"

"Found it!"

"Hey!" He had searched it while I was hesitating. I sighed. "You have a warning with this video, just saying."

He clicked on the video. "What do you mean?"

I blushed again. "Y-you'll see."

When the video was over, he was just sitting there, eyes still on the screen. I waved my hand in front of his face. "Hello..?" _Crap, did I break him?_

He broke into a smile. "It's gotta be this one!"

I pulled back. "W-what?"

Ryan put his hands on my shoulder. "This one's perfect! It music's just right and it'll be easy to mix the two dances together."

I stared at him in disbelief. _He liked the song..? _I was half relieved but I was still in shock. "A-are you sure?"

"Yeah, totally. Don't worry if you don't think you can master the moves, we can just use the ballroom ones." He smiled. "I know you're not comfortable with some of them."

I blushed and looked away. "S-shut up…"

He just laughed and sent the video to himself. "Hey, if you think we're gonna get busted by Sir Eyebrows, then you should come over to my place."

_His place..? Now I think about it, I've never been there once…_ "I guess… Do you have space?"

"Of course," he scoffed, "I've got a huge living room."

"How about your grandma? Would she mind?"

"She's cool with anything, don't worry. I'll talk to her and text you later."

I opened my mouth to protest but changed my mind. This was for the best of this situation. "Okay… thank you."

He flashed another bright smile. "Anytime!"

More time passed. It was a week before the pageant now. We've been continuing the ballroom practice so that Arthur would not get suspicious and I've been going over to Ryan's house every other day to practice the other dance. It's been hectic but it's also been… fun. The practices weren't so awkward anymore for some reason. On another note, I've became more fit and my skin and health were practically glowing. I've never felt so great, but I've never felt so stressed over an event.

"Feliciano…"

"Ve?" He looked up from brushing my hair. I was too lazy at the moment so I let him brush.

"Do you think I could have a couple of days off..? I've been training nonstop and I don't want to crash at the last minute…" Alfred's last run was ridiculous. _Three laps to and from the park, which was a mile away? I hate running in the first place!_

"You should talk to Arthur or Big Brother Francis," he braided a portion of my hair, "but I think you definitely deserve a break~."

I weakly smiled at him. "Thanks… I'll do that when they get back…"

"Oh, have no fear, ma cherie. We were planning to give you two days off starting demain {tomorrow} anyway." The Italian and I turned to the voice. Francis entered the room in his chef uniform. He set a white box on the counter.

"Oh~ what's that? What's that?" Feliciano skipped over to examine the box. Francis opened it and inside was a cake neatly decorated in fruits and whipped cream.

I went over as well. "What's that for?" I looked around. "Is it someone's birthday?"

The Frenchie shook his head and stared at me. I pointed to myself and he nodded. "Oui~ it's just a little something I whipped up for your excellente effort."

I blushed. "Y-you didn't have to do that…"

"Yes I did, mon ange {my angel}." He gave me a hug and kissed my forehead. "You're trying really hard even though you didn't want to in the first place. I was even surprised that you accepted to dance with Ryan."

I crossed my arms and frowned. "The bills weren't going to pay themselves…" I had to get in the top three to win enough money. Failure was a thought that I did not want to ponder on and flustering over a guy was not going to stop me.

"Ve~ Big Brother Francis, we ate dinner already so can we have cake now?" Feliciano asked excitedly.

A stack of plates were set on the table. "I am not sure about Westerner desserts, aru, but that looks good."

"It will taste wonderful since Francis made it, da?" Ivan brought the forks.

_When did they show up..?_ Felciano helped me to my seat and the Frenchie served the cake.

A cup of tea was set in front of me. I looked up and found Arthur as the server. "You deserve a break… I apologize for constantly working you into exhaustion."

I shook my head. "It's okay. I like working anyway." The guys got quiet for a second. I raised a brow. "…What's wrong?"

"Do not mind us, podrooga {female friend}. Enjoy your cake." Ivan handed me a fork.

"Umm… okay then." I took it and had the first bite of cake. I paused. It was the best cake I had ever eaten! The sponge was perfectly light and fluffy and the whipped cream wasn't overwhelmingly sweet like the ones found in the stores. The fruits were glazed with what seemed to be peach syrup. The different textures and tasted blended together nicely. I turned to Francis. "That was amazing!"

He looked delighted and put a hand on his hip. "Now, if you think that was amazing then you should try my tart, la prochaine fois {next time}."

"Watch your calories though." I choked on another piece of cake and sipped the tea, which also nicely complimented the cake.

Alfred laughed and hit my back. "I always love that reaction!"

"You should too, da?"

The American stopped and scowled at Ivan. "Shut up, commie!"

"Aiyah, how many times do we have to tell you that he is not communist anymore?"

"Cake!" Yong Soo had just finished taking a shower and jumped over to the table. "Is it someone's birthday?"

"So late, aru…"

"Dude, I thought that too!"

"Ve~ here's your cake Yong Soo."

I gently set my fork down and watched the guys go about in their usual commotion. I really did not want to lose them one by one like they said. I had to earn that money to pay off the bills one way or another; even if it kills me to dress up like a Barbie again, this time to the max. _Oh wait…_

I tugged on Francis's sleeve to get his attention. "What will I be wearing?"

He gave me a smirk and patted my head. "You'll see soon enough, ma princesse."

_...What's that supposed to mean?_

* * *

><p><strong>More time skips and rambles! XD <strong>

**Yeah, I didn't have many ideas for this… This pageant thing will be two parts (maybe three if I think of something) so don't worry about length. This was part one. (This pageant's process will be explained in the next chapter because I know it seems really different from the usual/big ones out there.)**

**So, Ryan returns. And he's her dance partner! He must be pretty happy, if you know what I mean. **

**Like them, I went through YouTube searching for a dance that they will perform. I did find those waltz and ballroom dances boring for my and Nana's tastes (no offense!) so I decided to bring some stuff that I was interested in: **

**-Risky Game was nice but like Ryan said, the moves focused a lot on the words than the music (MMD version). **

**-Scissorhands was really cool. It was jazz-like and the dancers in the video were really energetic (Miume and Kimagure Prince version). I almost went with this but I had a male outfit that I really want to use and it did not match this.**

**-And guess the last one~ (It also includes Miume-san) **

**Anyway, sorry for the time skippy chapter. I had writer's block but wanted to move onto the actual event :c **

**Check out "The Outgoing and the Shy" if you have time ^^ *shameless advertisement* **

**Thanks Always!~**


	37. Chapter 36: Showtime

Showtime

_December 20__th__… several days before Christmas. It was finally the day I both dreaded and anticipated for…_

At first, I would have killed Francis on the spot; but because this teen pageant was different from the usual ones, I had decided to let him off easy. This local one was a milder version of those Miss Teen California pageants. There were the dress and interview events as usual, but rather than to have the swimsuit event, it was talent. The talent was open to anything as long as it was appropriate and pre-confirmed by the judges. I supposed that Arthur sent in an example of the ballroom dance Ryan and I were to do. He and the judges were going to be in on a huge surprise.

I sat in my seat in front of the mirror getting all kinds of chemicals and substances in my hair and face. Francis worked on my hair while Feliciano applied my makeup.

"Please don't go over the top, you two…" I winced as Francis tugged a bit too hard at my hair.

Feliciano smiled as he put on some eyeliner. "Ve~ I'll try my best."

The Frenchie parted my bangs differently and kept them in place with some hair spray. "Oh do not worry, you will dazzle then with your natural beauty, non?"

"Natural beauty, my butt…" I sighed and looked at my phone. It was half an hour before the event was starting and Ryan still hadn't shown up. He told me he was going to be running late because his grandmother got lost in traffic but this was a little ridiculous. I decided to call him to see where he was and started dialing his number.

"I'm here!"

I jumped, causing Feliciano to swipe the eyeliner down from the corner of my eye. He wiped it off and I turned to the voice. "Where have you been—are you okay..?" Ryan's face was flushed red and his usual confident stature was missing. _Was he that nervous or…?_

He held himself steady by the doorframe while his grandmother supported him by the side. "Sorry for being late…" He stood tall. "But Ryan's ready to rumble!" He then swayed a little.

_Was he really okay..?_ I frowned. "You should rest before the talent event. It's the second one so it'll be in an hour…"

His grandmother nodded. "I will take him to our hotel room and give you a call if anything happens."

I nodded at her. "Please take care of him," and turned to my partner, "Don't do anything stupid until then, okay..?" Gloom fell over him but he obediently left with his supporter. I gave out a long sigh when he left. _Was he really going to be okay..?_

After ten more minutes, the two nations were finally done with their things and I walked out of the changing room in my dress. Feliciano and Francis gasped and just gawked at me.

I blushed madly and turned to the side. "S-say something… it's rude to stare."

The dress Francis oh-so-secretly picked out was a one-strapped, azure blue evening dress. On the strap was a silver embellishment with three peacock feathers sticking out at the top. The front overlapped each other and the same silver embellish was at the side of my waist. The dress flowed down comfortably below my waist and it just barely swept the floor. As accessory pieces, I wore a matching silver bracelet and collar necklace. My heels were also silver with touches of matching blue gems. Some waves were added to my hair for volume and he had replaced the blue highlight with black to match the rest of my hair tone. I protested but he said it would have downgraded my look. My bangs went from being parted in the middle to sweeping to the side, partially covering my left eye.

Feliciano took my hands. "You look amazing, Nana! Molto bella {Very beautiful}!"

Francis looked very pleased at his choice. "Ah, the bleu brings out the shade in your right eye." He sighed in content. "Truly beautiful, mon ange… tres belle…"

"I got it already! I'm pretty... I get it…" I turned away and faced the mirror to escape more embarrassing comments. I gazed into the glass. _Wow… was this really me?_ I touched it and timidly smiled. I did feel nice inside and out. It wasn't everyday that I could dress like a princess, although I would not be able to handle it on a regular basis.

"Alright everyone; it's time for the pageant to begin!" The director stepped into the room and smiled at everyone in the room. "Please line up in last name alphabetical order." There were the shuffling of dresses and clicks of heels as the contestants got into their place with their numbers.

My heart started to beat quickly and my stomach felt like it was in a knot. _Could I really do this..?_

A hand rested on my shoulder. I traced it to find that it was the Frenchie. He gave me his gentle smile. "You try your best, ma cherie. Do not let all those practices go to waste."

"Si~ Big Brother Francis is right! You tried very hard!" Feliciano put his hands around mine. He was one of the people who went to Ryan and my secret dance practices so he knew about my extra effort.

"Yeah…" I smiled at them. _Won't know how I'll do if I don't try…_ "I'll see you out there then." I quickly went to take my place, which as at the end anyway because my last name started with a 'Y'.

After that course, the girls were sent back in the room again. There were both excited and nervous chatter. I took to my seat in front of the mirror again and kicked off my heels. No matter how many times I practiced wearing and walking in them, it was still not comfortable at all. _I'm just glad I didn't trip and fall on my face…_

"_Hey look, it's the girl that was called up last."_

"_I've never seen her around before; maybe she's new this year." _

"_Probably; she had this cold presence around her, it was kind of freaky." _

"_Ice Queen much?" _

The two girls behind me giggled at the joke and walked off. I scoffed and took off my accessories. _That name again…_

"Don't listen to them."

I looked up and saw Feliciano holding out my phone. I took it. "Thanks…"

"You're not an Ice Queen, Nana." He lifted my head up to face the mirror. "You're Snow White; gentle, good hearted, and the prettiest girl that is in this entire room."

I blushed and turned to the Italian. "That's… probably the sweetest thing anyone's said to me."

He giggled. "Well it's true~."

I laughed softly but was cut short when vibrations came from my phone. I answered the call. "Hello?"

"_Nana? This is Ryan's grandmother." _

"Yes, hello. How is Ryan doing?"

"_It's why I called you… He isn't doing very well. He was dizzy earlier and is now having a fever. I am going to have to take him home. Poor boy… he practiced so very hard for you."_

"R-really?" I swallowed. _How hard can someone practice to the extent of getting sick?_

"_Yes… he was sometimes up late studying the movements and put himself in dangerous diets. I stopped the second part of course but he has been overexerting himself."_

I bit my lower lip and I could taste the lip gloss Feliciano had put on earlier. "Please let him rest… I think I will somehow manage on my own."

"_Are you sure, honey?"_

I nodded but I realized that she couldn't see me. "Yes, thank you for letting me know about his conditions." I closed my phone.

The Italian unit looked at me worried. "Ve… is Ryan going to be okay?"

I sighed and set the phone to the side. "He's got a really bad fever and won't make it." I ran my hand through my hair. "I think I should just forfeit now to get it over with…" _I was going to lose points from the talent portion anyway…_

"What?" My chair was tipped back halfway. Feliciano held it up, shocked. "Why are you giving up so easily?"

I almost had a heart attack from the sudden fall. "I-I'm going to lose anyway!"

Francis stepped in the scene, with my dance costume in hand. "You cannot simple give up. There are too many things at stake. Besides, some of those ladies out there were nothing compared to you."

The Italian returned my seat in position. "You're last to perform so there's time to figure something out, right? Right?"

I shook my head. "It's in random order. They already picked out the first five numbers and I'm fifth!"

"Ve!" He shrieked. "That's not good!"

"Oh mon dieu…"

I made a fist and stood from my chair, still barefoot. I grabbed the hanger that held my costume and headed toward the dressing room.

"Where are you going, daze?"

I sighed and faced them. "I learned a different dance on my free time in case something did not go right. It's still not ballroom but there's calm music and I could do it solo…"

Francis looked worried. "Are you sure?"

"There's nothing else I could do right?" The two just stood there while I went to change.

The first two contestants finished by the time I was done. I stood in front of the mirror and adjusted the long cuffs that began at my wrists and ended near my elbows. The outfit was similar to the male one. I wore a dark regency colored short skirt and over it, a white, sleeveless tailcoat. The front flap was lined in a golden-color with the same colored buttons lining up on both sides. A bold sash went across my back in a large ribbon. The flaps of my collars were also lined in the regency color; as well did the bottom edge of the coat. A gold collar necklace with a dark blue stone went under the collar flaps, and I wore long dark blue boots that went up just below my knees.

I put on my headband with gold-colored feathers. "Who's up right now, Feliciano?" Francis went right to fixing my hair in a half bun.

The Italian hurried back. "Ve~ the third person just finished."

I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself. I sent him out again to request a song change. _This will really shock Arthur…_I put on my mask that was half dark and half white. I gazed into the mirror again. _Wow, I've never worn a mask and it looks so… freaky. Only Turkey can pull it off…_ I put on my white gloves and went onto doing a last minute practice.

Midway through the fourth contestant's performance, I went ahead to wait in line. I gaped from the side. She was doing gymnastics and moved as if she had no bones. _There's no way I can beat that…_ My eyes wandered into the huge audience I saw earlier during the dress and hair event. It wasn't bad that time but it was only because I was with about forty-nine other people. Now I had to face it alone. _Alone…_ My butterflies came to my stomach again and it was too late to run back into the room where Francis and Feliciano were. I felt the palms of my hands starting to sweat under my gloves.

Then something caught my eye. It was a flash of light flicking at my face. I squinted and saw where it was coming from. I laughed quietly to myself and some tension relieved from me. In Ivan's hand were the American's phone and a small flashlight which I had no idea why he was carrying. The rest of the guys—Arthur, Yao, Yong Soo, and Alfred each held up a sign that together read '_You can do it!'_. Alfred mouthed something while the Russian and Korean waved. Yao gave me a nod. Arthur smiled and gave me a thumbs up. I redeemed my confidence a little and took one last deep breath as my name was called.

"_Contestant number fifty- Nana Yukibara! After a last minute change, she will be performing a dance called 'Magnet'._" The lights in the hall dimmed and a spotlight focused on me.

I adjusted my eyes and took my position. I stood, facing to the side, as I waited for the piano intro to end. I from the corner of the eyes I saw Arthur unpleased from the sudden change. I took my first step once the beats came in but the music suddenly stopped. Another spotlight shone to the place where I walked up from. A figure clad in my partner's costume strode up to me gallantly and the original song, Cantarella, started playing.

_W-what..?_ I decided to go with it and walked up to him also, as planned in the sequence. He was wearing the hat and mask and I would have guessed it was Ryan because he had blond hair, but something did not seem right.

He gave me a familiar reassuring smile. I took his hand as the music picked up and he spun me. We faced each other and released hands as we stepped to the left and then right and swung our arms out and over. _His movements were right… Maybe Ryan miraculously got better… again._ We leapt on one foot while our arms were out again and turned around, our backs facing toward each other. From the spotlight's shadows, his moves matched mine, almost perfectly.

In the end, he held me above the waist while I leaned to the side, with one of our arms directed up on each side. We had gained a thunder of applause when the music ended; some standing ovations as well.

I looked up at the masked partner and he grinned happily at me. I couldn't help but to smile back and he propped me back on my feet. We bowed and hurried off the stage as the announcer went up the steps.

Back in the room, I threw my mask off and was met with Francis's embrace. "Oh mon dieu! That was tres magnifique!" He spun me around twice and then finally let go.

I held my arms out from being dizzy. "T-thanks Francis…" I shook my head and looked around. "Where's Feliciano?" He was usually the first to say anything about these kinds of things. I heard footsteps behind me and I found my partner walking up.

He removed his hat and mask, and a blond wig. "Nana! That was so much fun!"

I gasped. "You were dancing with me?" _It was Feliciano..? _

"Yep!" He gave me a tight hug. "It's not fun dancing by yourself~."

I smiled and felt tears forming in my eyes for some reason. I brought myself to hug him back. He was always there for me. He was my first unit and he's always been there for me one way or another, even if he was a big goofball now and then.

Francis stroked my hair. "Now, now, why are you crying for, mon princesse?"

I wiped my eyes. "I… I was scared." I realized that I smudged my makeup on the white gloves but I didn't really care. "I was going to choke up eventually but then he came up." I smiled shyly at the Italian.

"Ve~ don't cry, you're never alone." He handed me a tissue.

I dried my eyes and nodded. "Yeah… you're right." I turned to the other, a little sniffly. "Now… Get me ready for the last event."

Forty-five talents later, it was finally time for the interview session. This time it was in numerical order again so I had plenty of time to prepare myself. This time I wore a mahogany one-strapped dress that had a cut that revealed the side of my leg. The strap was completely lined with silver beading while the other side under my arm to the beginning of the cut was also lined with the same design. I wore heels again that matched the silver beading. My hair was up in a half bun once more but it was straightened instead of waved.

It was finally my turn and I seated myself in a chair they had set up in front of a microphone. The three judged sat at their table in front of me, looking up expectantly. I haven't really paid attention to who they were since they were sitting in the dark for the first two events. _Not that I really cared…_

"Okay, Miss Yukibara," the host turned to me, "from the short bio we've read, we understand that you have been through truly rough times. We agreed that it was one of the saddest stories we had ever heard."

_Sympathy..? Please don't…_ I just nodded at them. I did not need any of that.

"So going along those lines, we decided to go with this question for you." He held up a card. "_'What in life makes you the happiest?'_"

I froze. _Uhh... What in life makes me the happiest..?_ I blinked and felt like million pairs of eyes were staring at me. I tried to show no signs of nervousness like Arthur had taught me but it was ridiculously hard considering how freaked out I was at the moment. Flickering of lights got me again. I turned to the rest of the units and they held up their signs again. I grinned at them. _What makes me the happiest…_

"Do you have your answer, ma'am?" The guy turned to me curiously.

I took the microphone from the stand. "Well…" I sneaked a glance at his nameplate, "Jeff. I believe that the feelings of belonging and love make me the happiest, no matter what situation I had to go through." _So cheesy… _I smiled to myself and blushed a little. "I realized that I was never alone in the world and I should never take the love I receive for granted…" I turned to Jeff and the judges. "Those things in life make me the happiest and the person I am now." They nodded approvingly and wrote things down on their papers. There were applauds from people and I was dismissed from the stage.

…

"Third place!"

The guys and I filed back into the house. Alfred had decided to carry me in and he set me down on the couch. He fixed my tiara and snapped a picture.

I groaned. "Enough with the pictures guys…" I took the small crown off leaned back into the cushions. _Freedom at last… no more perfect etiquettes…_

"Sit up straight young lady, your spine will not be able to support you properly." Arthur picked up the mail on the counter and went through them.

"Mehh…" I stood up and rubbed my arms. "I'm going to go change… it's freezing in this thing." I was still in my dress and the guys wouldn't let me change.

"Hold on, love. There's a letter from the unit delivery service." The Brit held up an envelope.

_What now..?_ I opened the thing and pulled out a neatly typed letter.

_Dear Miss Yukibara, _

_We understand that you had not called Customer Service even once for these past six months ever since you receive your first unit. We would like to express our gratitude by completely clearing your current unit bill. The policies had also changed and the next units are to be free of charge. We only request monthly feedback on our home page, which will be printed at the bottom of this page._

_With thanks,_

_Flying Mint Bunny Customer Service_

My jaws dropped.

"Are… you… serious?"

* * *

><p><strong>Teehee, yes I'm serious~ (yes I know, I'm mean). <strong>

**Well I feel like I went overboard with this one way or another. It's over 3,000 words long for starters ^^; It was fun though, I was really looking forward to it and it sounded like several of you were as well (I hope it matched your standards!). **

**So the first song was Magnet, which was my original plan. I did not really agree with it but it was the only thing in mind until… Cantarella showed up in my reviews! I knew that song and could not believe that it slipped my mind! So you two, Swirly592 and Neelh (and whomever guessed that as well), helped me out :D Thank you very much~**

**As for the dresses she wore, the first and last were based off of real designs I've found on Google, and the costume was based off of an outfit I saw Feliciano wear in an MMD video on Youtube (I posted a sketch on my Deviantart page). I just changed the design around so that it would be more feminine since finding another dress was a pain. **

**-"Magnet" Dance by aira and Miume  
>-"Cantarella" Dance by NNP and RyuseiYaro (I think) <strong>

**Filler moments over, start of a new plot in the next chapter ^^ **

**Thank you for the faves, reviews, and follows!  
>(Especially you regular reviewers: DoctorWhotaliaandtheOlympians, Neehl, and SubZeroIceDragon~)<strong>

**ps. If you want a visual of the dresses/dances then I can PM you the links :) **

**pps. I was thinking about 'manga-fying' this story and posting it on my Deviantart page. What do you guys think about that? I mean I have to study manga-styled stuff but aside from that, I've been wanting to try it out. Leave me a message or a PM and tell me your opinion **


	38. Chapter 37: Discovery

Discovery

A faint puff of white cloud appeared before me as I breathed out into the air. It was probably below fifty degrees outside right now, in the middle of California, just at the beginning of January. I stuffed my hands in my jacket pockets and continued walking home.

I finished my shift at Frosty's and one would not expect very many customers to go to an ice cream parlor in the middle of winter. Mr. Ciro was cunning enough to sell hot chocolate, coffee, and cinnamon buns as well. It was a nice comfortable environment as if it was one of those coffee shops; warm and cozy enough to not make me want to leave. Sadly here I was now, in my mini skirt, walking in the cold for twenty minutes. Unfortunately, Feliciano got himself sick so I was also alone; in the cold; in my skirt. _I should have brought jeans to change into…_ I burrowed my face into the scarf Ivan knitted for us. It was a pastel peach color and was very soft and snug.

With the pageant and four-months-saving worth of money, we had enough to get a decent house two cities away. We didn't exactly purchase it yet but we have our eyes set on it and are planning to move in six days. With the spare money, we got each other some Christmas gifts. There was also a party, with a mistletoe crisis; and another party for the New Year.

I breathed into the scarf to warm my face. "Why is it so cold all of the sudden..?" _I think I'm going to be sick next at this rate…_

Out of the blue, a small black limousine pulled up by the sidewalk. A window from the backseat rolled down, revealing two men that each wore a pair of shades. The one closer to me took them off and looked straight at me. I paused and stared back in response. The brunette man cleared his throat. "Are you Nana Yukibara?"

I raised a brow. _Why do they want to know? Stalkers…_ "Who the heck are you?"

The man consoled with his partner and focused back at me. "We were sent to fetch Miss Yukibara."

_Why…? What did I do now?_ I put a hand on my hip. "What business would she have with you two gentlemen?"

He started to seem impatient. The other man whispered in his ear and he looked up at me. The brunette nodded and turned to me again. "I will ask you again- Are you Nana Yukibara?"

"No." I put my hands in my pockets again and started to walk away. Behind me, I heard the car doors open and close. _Don't look back, don't look back…_ I quickened my pace and turned several corners.

After about five minutes of fleeing, I ended up at the park. I hid behind the large tree in the back field to catch my breath. _They shouldn't be able to find me here—_

A cloth suddenly muffled over my nose and mouth. I shot a glance up at the man from the limo but my eyelids steadily dropped and I blacked out.

When I finally came around, I was lying on the couch in some room. I sat up and scanned the place, still dazed from whatever happened earlier. It was an extremely fancy room, enough to make you feel like you don't want to touch anything. _Please tell me I'm dreaming again…_

I walked over to a large window nearby. I peered out behind the curtain and gasped. _I'm in a mansion!_ I was apparently on the second floor and the window overlooked a huge green garden. There was a fountain to the side and a tall gate, for what I guessed was for the entrance, stood about twenty miles away.

_Why was I taken here..?_ I looked for my phone so I could contact the guys at home but I couldn't find it. I checked in all my pockets and the couch. I groaned._ I probably dropped it when I was running from them…_ I shook my head. In any case, I needed to get out of here.

I marched up to one of the two doors in the room and turned the knob. It was locked from the outside. I jingled it several more times, only to find my dismay. I sighed and went for the other door just in case. It swung open before I could lay a finger on the handle, making me jump back.

"You cannot leave this room." The brown-haired man from earlier directed me back to the couch.

I sat down and looked up at him curiously. "Why not?" _What is going on..?_

A sound of a cart followed by couple of footsteps echoed in the hall. A young maid rolled in with a tea set. She smiled sweetly at me and offered me some cookies. I denied them politely and my eyes focused on another figure that was walking through the door.

An old lady, probably in her eighties, prompted herself on the couch in front of me. Two more suited men entered and stood at either side of her. She stared at me for a time while the two people besides her whispered and nodded at her.

I shifted uncomfortably in my seat and decided to look down at my lap. _This is getting annoying…_ "Wh—"

"I will take her in. Present to me her legal papers." One of the men handed her a pen and a document.

My eyes widened and I sprang to my feet before the ink touched the paper. "Hold it!" She stopped and glanced up at me. I pointed at the document. "What do you mean 'take her in'? What right do you have in suddenly abducting and forcing ownership over me?" _That's not right at all!_

She sighed and sat up straight. "Sit down, child, and calm down."

I gradually shimmered down and returned to my place on the couch. I cleared my throat. "…Who are you?"

The woman seemed satisfied at my self-control and looked me right in the eye. "I am Isane Yukibara, your grandmother."

I raised a brow. _Grandmother…?_ I recollected myself and cleared my throat. "…Do you have proof?"

She snapped her fingers and the other man handed me her I.D. card, birth certificate, and several photos. I flipped through them. My hands started to tremble the more I realized that she was telling the truth. The pictures were of my parents' wedding, a family group shot minus me, and a picture of my father when he was younger. I bit my lower lip. _I am so lost…_

"Believe me now, child?"

I slowly nodded and handed the things back. I stared at the glass table in front of me, unable to blink, unable to think straight. The woman before me was really my grandmother, a _living_ direct relative. I couldn't believe it. I couldn't grasp onto that fact.

"You see, I was truly devastated when I heard that one of my son's families had died out. But when I saw an entry form by someone by the name 'Yukibara', it enticed my curiosity. Your father barely kept in touch with me you see, so I did not know that he had a second daughter. I had my men look into—"

"Wait." I held up a hand. "What entry form?"

She cocked her head. "I was one of the judges at the pageant you entered. Did you not recognize me?"

I squinted. _Now that she mentioned it…_ I looked down guiltily. "I'm not good at remembering faces." _Especially anyone from that event since I vowed to never enter one of those again…_

"How rude." She took a sip from her tea. "In any case, I tracked you down and observed you for the past two months."

_What?_ "Invasion of privacy, much…" I clasped my hands together. _What does she think about the guys? Great..._ This was not a comfortable situation at all.

She leered at me. "As your only direct relative living in the States, I have the right to take you into my household. You are not eighteen yet after all."

I made a fist and faced her again. "But I am satisfied at where I am. I have legal guardians watching over me."

"Legal guardians?" She frowned. "You're living with one… two… three… _seven_ older boys, that I have no idea how you have connections with, plus I have seen your medical record."

I recoiled in my thoughts. _That does sound bad… Even so…_ I sat up straight. "Nothing is wrong with that. They're treating me well and I'm completely happy."

She grimaced. "You are just a young woman. You need a proper guardian to carefully guide and watch over you; and a female at that."

I kept a steady gaze on her. "I can take care of myself. I have been for the past three years."

She maintained a collected manner. "I cannot allow looking past that fact. How dare your mother leave you in no one's proper care?"

The end of my mouth twitched at her last comment. "She was ill, I was hoping you knew. And we were struggling enough, how could she find the time to find anyone? No one came close to us anyway."

"More the reason for me to take you in."

I took a deep breath to prevent myself from raging on her. "Thank you but no thank you."

"Those boys know nothing about caring for you. They only want a pretty host that will do the chores for them."

_She did not look into everything deep enough…_ "You know nothing about me ma'am and until you do, I have no interest in living under your roof."

The old lady sneered at me. "As your elder, you are expected to follow my wishes."

"Well that is hard when… I don't know," I scowled at her, "I have never seen you in all my life." It was true, my parents never mentioned about any other relative to me. My father never had a chance to and my mother never got around to it, nor did I ever ask.

"Young lady, I—"

"Madam," the woman and I turned to the maid, who was standing to the side the whole time, "her phone went off about twenty times, half from text messages and the other half from missed calls. I believe you should send her back for now…"

"Hmph." The lady tapped the document she was about to sign earlier and eyed me. "Just think it over for now."

"It's not going to happen…" I stood up too abruptly and my leg hit the table, accidentally knocking my cup of tea onto the papers. I concealed a smile as her suited men led me out.

It turned out that she lived in the city next to the one we were planning to move. I was not sure whether if that was a good thing or not. After an hour long drive, I was dropped off at the park. It was probably eight-thirty. It was dark out so I decided to run home.

"Dude! There you are!" I suddenly ran into someone's arms as I went through my front gates. "We were seriously worried!"

I pulled away and gasped for breath. _Alfred?_ "I'm sorry but it's a long story. I'll share it when we get inside." _I'm freezing my butt off here!_

"Long story? Then hurry in!" He grabbed my arm and pulled me inside. Feliciano, Arthur, Francis, and Yong Soo hurried up to me as I got into the living room.

The Italian hugged me tightly. "Ve! I was worried sick!"

"You _are_ sick, silly..." I put a hand on his forehead. It was pretty warm. _I probably stressed him to the point of getting a fever…_

"Your hand is nice and cold…" He kept my hand in place on his head.

"We were afraid a big bad wolf got to our princesse." Francis kissed my head. "I'm glad you are safe."

Arthur shook his head. "Where have you been? We've tried contacting you multiple times and you never responded."

"I am getting to that." I sat on the couch and waited for the others to settle down. I sighed when they seemed ready. "I… ran into my grandmother."

"Grandmere [grandma]?" Francis raised a brow.

Feliciano sat next to me. "Didn't you say you didn't know any other living relative?"

I shrugged. "Well apparently I had a grandma living here this whole time… She was one of the judges at the pageant so that's how she found me."

"I do recall seeing a sophisticated elder woman at the panel," the Brit commented. "I also heard she was the one responsible for the prize money."

"Seriously?" I groaned. _Then the money in our hands is from her…_ "Her people basically abducted me and took me to her place." I furrowed my brows. "She almost adopted me."

"What? That's totally unfair!" Alfred shouted. Being one of the younger ones, he probably had the most rebellious energy.

I nodded at him. "Thank you Alfred. I said the same thing but I managed to stop her, for now…"

Yao took a seat next to me as well. "'For now', aru?" He handed me some hot chocolate.

I gratefully sipped it and it instantly warmed me. "She didn't seem like the type to back off so easily. We argued for a bit until her maid stopped us."

The Russian had an uneasy look on his face. "It's like when my sister was trying to get me to marry her. She wouldn't give up no matter what and I am pretty sure she still isn't."

"Forced marriage…" Arthur shot a deathly glare at the Frenchman next to him. He just held his hands up in defense as a response.

I sighed and hung my head. "I have no idea what to do. I don't want to live with her, especially not after that _pleasant_ first impression…"

Yong Soo cocked his head. "Can't we all just move in with her, daze? I bet she has a mansion anyway."

"That was another issue; she didn't like the idea of me staying with you guys." I blushed a little. "I am the only girl in this household so I appreciate her concern… but I've been fending for myself well enough."

"Yes, quite well." Arthur nodded. He's been rooming with me the longest so he had an idea on how well I dealt with being around other men. I had made sure that my privacy was safe and took extra precautions if I'd ever felt the need to. He also taught me how to avoid Francis' moves so I wouldn't be so violated.

Francis and Yong Soo laughed nervously and agreed. They both respected my space on the most part but they, as they claimed, 'slipped' sometimes.

"Could we try to talk and reason with her, aru?"

I made a smug expression. "She didn't seem like the one to reason with… but that might work."

"Sense just needs to be slapped into her." The American grinned at me. "I'm sure she'll change her mind then!" The rest of the guys nodded in agreement.

I held the mug of hot chocolate up to my mouth. _You hear that granny? These guys aren't bad at all…_I smiled and was about to take another sip of the rich drink until the doorbell rang.

* * *

><p><strong>To the start of a new arc… Nana and the guys are going to be moving but a wild stubborn grandmother appears! What do you do? <strong>

** -Be totally happy for finally meeting another relative**

** -Shocked and pretend you don't know her**

** -Reason with her and offer peace cookies**

** -Run!**

…**Yeah I need a life. (It was supposed to be like Pokemon if you didn't catch on)  
><strong>

**Anywho, please leave a feedback about this chapter (simple review or constructive criticism, whatever floats your boat). Although it's my favorite story, I feel like I'm losing track in what I'm doing because I've been working on other stuff. I feel "out of touch" with Bittersweet so could you help me connect back to it ^^; ?**

**Thank you always readers! **


	39. Chapter 38: Impressions

Impressions

_Who could it be this late..? Don't tell me it's... _

I slowly opened the door, only to find that it was Mark. I sighed in relief. "It's just you."

"_Just_ me?" He scoffed. "I apologize for not being your pizza delivery guy."

I rubbed my neck. "I'm sorry about that." I glanced up at the large crate. "Guess the regular deliveries are coming back, huh?"

"Yep." He handed me the clipboard. "Congrats on having your bills cleared."

"Thanks..." _Please don't remind me…_ I looked up at him. "But we're moving in like a week so where can I send you the new address when I get it?"

He raised a brow. "Moving, huh? You could send a mail to the delivery service office or email it instead." He wheeled in the box after I gave him back his clipboard. Then he passed me the manual and stepped outside. "Good luck on your move guys."

"Grazie~." Feliciano waved at him as he drove away in his truck.

Alfred shoved the crate into the living room. "Who's joining the group now?"

"I wonder." Ivan smiled curiously at the box.

_And here we were going to leave this house soon... Poor guy_. I opened the manual. _I take 'poor guy' back..._ I sighed and passed it to Alfred.

He glanced at it. "Sweet, this dude."

He handed it to Yao. The Chinese nation made a face and passed it down to Arthur. He groaned and handed it to Yong Soo. He didn't look at it and happily place it in Francis' hands. The Frenchie smiled gleefully and handed it to Ivan. He smiled pleasantly as well.

"Ve~ why is everyone so quiet?" Feliciano opened the manual and giggled. "It's Gilbert!"

The large box shook a little. I flipped through the thing after the Italian gave it back to me. I twisted my hair around my finger. "The best way to get him out..." I looked up at the Russian. "Give him a greeting."

"Okay." He walked up to the package and tapped it a little. "Hello comrade. You should come out and join us." A muffled shriek came out as a response.

_Why this guy of all times?_ I scratched my head in annoyance and went up to it as well. "Alfred, pry it open."

"The Hero's on it!" He started to lift the lid off the box.

_"Cut it out!" _

I peered into the crack as Alfred was opening it. "Chillax, we're not going to—"

"Mein gott!" The unit jumped out of the box and clung onto me. The American flew back from the sudden impact and I fell over from the sudden weight. "You're not that unawesome Russian—" He turned his head to the said nation, who waved at him. He hissed and hid behind me.

"Hello to you too..." I groaned as I rubbed the side of my head. _Who would just tackle people and then ignore that human target?_

"You're too unawesome for my greeting." He got up and dusted himself. "Your great awesome Gilbert is here!"

I facepalmed. "Another narcissist..." I stood up and went up to Alfred. "You okay?"

He took the last of the splinters off of him. "Of course, why wouldn't I be?" He laughed and proceeded to get rid of the box.

"Ve~ Gilbert, welcome to Nana's house. It's a comfy place but we're going to be moving soon though."

"Feliciano!" The Prussian went up to him and petted his head. "I feel better now knowing that you're here."

Arthur cleared his throat and glanced at me and then at him. I sighed and tapped his shoulder. Surprisingly, I found myself just about the same height as him. He turned around with a questioning look on his face. "What _unawesome_ girl?"

I made a fist but released it. I put a hand out instead. "I'm Nana Yukibara, the unit owner."

He stared at my hand and then at me. He just shrugged. "Whatever."

_My gosh..._ I jabbed a finger at his chest and glared at him. "Look _Beilschmidt_, I've been responsible for the last seven units and you're only number eight. I expect you to cut that attitude and give me some form of respect. _Got it_?" He backed into the wall and opened his mouth to protest. I kept my finger in place. "Understood?"

A drop of sweat rolled down the side of his head. He looked to the side and muttered an 'okay'.

I smiled in satisfaction. "Thank you." I turned to the rest. "Now, what's for dinner? I'm starving."

Yao made us some oriental chicken and stir-fried vegetables. When we were done, everyone scattered about to go to their own business.

I laid on the couch, staring at the ceiling. First my grandma showed up from nowhere and then I got a new unit. _A stubborn woman and a self-proclaiming jerk..._ I sighed and rolled over to the side. _What was I to do?_

_"I claim..." _I heard footsteps in the hall, _"this room!"_ A door slammed open.

_"No way, aru. This room is full."_ It sounded like Yao stormed in after him. What he said was true though. Most of the bedrooms were tripled up except for the one shared with Francis and Ivan.

_"The Awesome Me won't be able to sleep a wink with that unawesome Russian in there!"_

I got up and marched down the hall. I leaned again the doorway, crossing my arms. "You can't just go around picking rooms on your own."

He frowned at me. "Why not?"

I leered at him as I walked over to my bed. "I own this house and what I say goes." I picked up a pillow and a book and raised them over my head. I turned to the Prussian, who was standing in front of the door.

"What are you—" He ducked as I threw the stuff. They flew over him and landed outside the room.

I grabbed my things off the ground and started walking down the hall, towards the living room.

"H-hey," he peered out the door, "what's the big idea?"

I smiled coldly at him. "It's your first night. I'll sleep on the couch."

Eventually it was midnight; the grandfather clock told me so. I tossed to my side and stared at the couch. I couldn't sleep but it wasn't because I was uncomfortable. Too many things buzzed through my head. _What if I'm kidnapped again and that crazy lady officially takes me in? Away from these guys? What will I do then?_

I let out a sigh and brought the blanket closer to my face. The living room was pretty cold since it was a large space and there were no other body warmth around. I closed my eyes. _I wonder how Feliciano's feeling? He seemed better during dinner... _I yawned. All this thinking was actually making me tired. My eyes started to close and darkness descended.

_I awakened on a cold stone floor. I examined to find that it was the inside of one of those medieval castles. As I sat up, I heard the shuffling of fabric. I looked down and realized that I was in a short dress with a rather tight corset around my waist. The top was a little revealing, and not to mention, it was strapless on the most part. I looked at my hand and there it was; a club symbol this time. _

"_Your Highness, it's time." _

_My eyes directed themselves to a maid beckoning me to go out to the terrace. Before I could question her, my body moved on its own. With a crown, scepter, and cape, I approached the railings and waved to the people that had gathered. I smiled at them and blew them a kiss. What was I doing? _

_When I was done with the rather awkward greeting, the whole room blacked out. When light returned, I realized that I had aged. And my skin was decaying. My heart leapt and I grimaced at the sight of my hands._

"_Your Highness, it's time." _

_I looked up at her fearfully. "I-I can't go out there." Trembling, I went up to a mirror that was hanging on the wall. I gasped as I saw that the whites of my eyes were black. I slammed my fist in the glass, shattering it in the middle but also tearing my palm. _

"_Why is this happening? I don't understand!" I close my mouth. I did not mean to say that. I felt myself slump to my knees and cover my face in shame and fear. _

_There was a sudden jolt in my heart and when I looked up, I saw that I was on a small path and everything was unusually taller than me. I glanced down at myself and realized that I was about eight years old now. On my hand was half a heart. _

"_We're finally here, Big Sister." _

_I turned to the voice and saw a boy close to my age. Wait. I took a better look at him and gasped. It was my genderbent self. He was pointing at a door up ahead, which was glowing an uneasy yellow. His hand had a pattern of the other half of the heart. _

_I followed him up the small hill and when he touched the knob, my body started acting on its own again. I raised my hands out at him. When he turned around, his smile turned into a face of horror as I started wringing at his neck. I was suffocating him. I wanted to cry out and stop; I didn't want to murder anyone. Then something hard socked me across the face._

I woke up with a startled. I realized that my hands were actually up, around something.

"I know you're mad at me but I didn't think you would try to freaking kill me!"

I gasped and released my grip. I brought my blanket up to my face. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean it…"

Gilbert sighed in relief and rubbed his neck. "You sure are stronger than you look."

"I'm sorry." My heart was still in panic-mode and I tried to calm it down. The Prussian just scoffed and went into the kitchen.

He came back with a pack of ice and roughly pressed it against my cheek. "I… hit you too hard," he mumbled.

I held it in place. I swung my legs off the couch and sat up. "Thank you for waking me up…"

"Yeah yeah." He slumped onto the now open spot next to me. "But you can't go around killing awesome people like me."

I snickered and shook my head. "What are you doing up? It's like three o'clock in the morning…" I expected that he would be deep asleep by now; besides, it's not like we had any beer for him to have.

He yawned. "I was gonna go out and buy some beer since your freaking fridge is completely out of it."

"You would…" I poked the place he hit me and winced. _It'll probably be bruised for a while…_"You don't even have the money."

"Yeah, so I was gonna wake you up and borrow some but…" he scratched his silver hair and stared at the ceiling, "you looked really troubled."

I blinked at him. The self-absorbed person in front of me was actually worried. I looked down at my lap. "Well—"

"Don't get me wrong! I would have bugged Francis instead if it weren't for that commie in the room. P-plus he said waking up a girl in the middle of her sleep was bad and stuff and—"

I started laughing. "You're being really _unawesome_ right now."

He blushed a little. "S-shut up! I'm too awesome to be unawesome."

"Yes yes…" I waved my hand at him. "Anyway…" I set the ice pack down and faced him, "I'm sorry about my temper earlier."

He was caught off guard. He recollected his thoughts and shrugged. "Whatever. Eyebrows filled me in with the details."

"Okay." _Thank you Arthur for sparing me five minutes of explanation…_ I rubbed my eyes and yawned. It was getting late and I felt exhausted from the nightmare.

Gilbert let out a long yawn and got up. "Guess I'll have to go beer-less for tonight."

"How about every night…" I rested my head on my pillow and brought the blanket close to me. The room was still cold nonetheless.

"No way! I'd rather die than go without my beer." He scowled.

"If you die, it'll be by my hands…" I stuck my tongue out at him and then closed my eyes.

He let out a mocking laugh. "Only in your unawesome dreams!"

When I didn't respond, I heard his feet shuffle out of the room. A few minutes later, he came back and I felt another blanket go over me. After that, he left to go back to his room.

_He's not a bad guy after all…_

"Good morning, Nana—" Feliciano gasped as I walked out of the bathroom. "What happened to your cheek?"

I laughed nervously and covered the bruise with my hand. "I…" Gilbert walked by and motioned for me to spare him. "I fell off the couch and hit my face on the corner of the coffee table."

"Oh no," the Italian cried. "Be more careful, okay?"

I nodded. "_I_ will try." The Prussian looked relieved and continued to go to the dining room. I placed at hand on Feliciano's forehead and then the side of his neck. "Aren't you making a fast recovery?"

He smiled in triumph. "Yep! Yao is a miracle worker." He twirled on his toes. "I feel splendido {wonderful}~."

"Good for you." I smiled at him. "Now let's go see what Francis made for breakfast."

The table in the dining room was packed with plates. I happily ate my omelet and noticed that someone was missing. I glanced over at the couch in the living room and saw that Gilbert was eating there by myself. By the looks of it, there was absolutely no more room for another person to eat at the table. I sighed and picked up my plate.

I sat myself next to the Prussian. "Forever alone, much?"

"Me, alone?" He swallowed whatever he was chewing on. "I'm never alone."

"Then I guess I'll go back…" I slowly up got up.

He grabbed my arm and sat me back down. "But I didn't say you had to leave."

I smirked at him and he just ate quickly. I saw in his eyes that he wanted the company so I decided to stay. "You're a weird guy, you know that?"

"Shut up, I'm Awesome!"

* * *

><p><strong>A short and somewhat fluffy chapter. I decided I time-skipped waaaay too much so I got into more details about their meeting. And yes, the great Prussia has arrived! (guilty as charged, he's one of my favorite characters…) I wanted him to show up earlier in the story but I decided to hold off until now. <strong>

**Chaos shall ensue. . .**

**-Thank you for the feedback from the last chapter :) I appreciated the support and I think I'm starting to get back into the story.**

**-Prussia's my favorite character but I had some trouble with his personality since he's pretty unique. He's self-absorbed, but cares a little too much when someone's troubled, but can be a tsundere sometimes. . . I hope I got that right ^^; **

**-I know in the PV of the song in the dream, the brother kills the sister but I changed it up in order for the scene I had in mind to work**

**-Anyone notice the new cover art? ^.^ Closer look at my Deviantart page (MiracleHeart14)  
><strong>

**Thank you always~**


	40. Chapter 39: Challenge

Challenge

"Thank you." I bowed and left Frosty's. Today was my last day of working there and at the bakery. I only gave a simple farewell to my coworkers because Mr. Ciro promised a party when the moving date was closer.

"Are you done yet? We've been walking around for three freaking hours!" Gilbert growled as he tagged behind me. Since he did not have any job-related thing to worry about, he was forced to follow me around 'just in case'.

I sighed. "Yes, yes, we're almost there." I adjusted my bag as I hurried my pace for his sake. Then my phone started vibrating. I answered the sudden call. "Hello?"

"_Ve, Nana is that you?"_

I kicked a pebble on the street as I continued walking. "One and only, what's wrong?"

"_Nothing; Big Brother Francis told me to check up on you since you were gone for a while. But Gilbert is there so everything has to be okay, right?"_

I glanced back at the Prussian, who was just staring out at the street, blowing off some steam. I shrugged. "Yeah, I'm perfectly fine."

"_That's good! How is your cheek?"_

I poked at it. "It hurts a little but it's not too bad." Mr. Ciro asked about it earlier too and I used the same excuse. Of course with him being him, he didn't really believe me; but he decided to slide it past him for now.

"That's what she said," snickered Gilbert. I shot a glare at him but he just kept laughing at his joke.

"Everything's fine, Feliciano. Don't worry about it. I'll see you later." I closed my phone and smacked Gilbert's arm.

He grabbed my wrist before I hit him. "Hah! No more bruises on my awesome arm!" I landed a blow with my other hand but he took that in his grasp soon after. "Are you seriously _trying_ to kill me?"

"Maybe." I tried to pull my arms away but he kept his grip. "Let go."

"If you quit hitting the awesomeness that is me!" He scowled.

I struggled a bit but he didn't release. Several walkers looked at us suspiciously, mostly at Gilbert. I sighed and relaxed. "Okay okay, fine. I'll stop if you stop with those jokes." It was probably the twentieth one today.  
>"No way! I say what I want." He was obviously oblivious to how the situation looked for other people.<p>

A familiar limousine drove by us, slow-motion in my mind. A familiar male figure in the seat stared at me and turned away. When it disappeared down the street, my phone received a text.

"Let go." I shook my arms. His grip was still firm. "I guess it comes down to this…" I shot my knee up and he instantly fell over.

"What the frick, you crazy violent woman!" Gilbert just sprawled there in pain. That attracted more attention. Some faces seemed relaxed, while others turned pale and hurried off.

"You wouldn't listen." I stuck my tongue out at him and opened the text. It was from a new number but I read it anyway.

"_I will be visiting- I.Y."_

I stared blankly at it. _I.Y..?_ I repeated the initials in my head several more times. My heart skipped a beat. _Isane Yukibara? That lady!_ I had to tell the others. I put the phone in my bag and sprinted home.

"H-hey, don't just leave me here!"

I'd figured he would catch up eventually and continued on my way.

After about five minutes, I scrambled inside and paused by the couch to catch my breath. The guys were all conveniently in the living room since they had already ended their jobs as well. Yao and Arthur were cleaning and packing some things while the rest were just messing around.

Francis looked up from his glass of wine. "Is something the matter, ma cherie?"

"Were you going to get kidnapped again, daze?" Yong Soo tossed a random ball back to Alfred.

I took my bag and jacket off. "No but it's something more urgent."

"More urgent, you say?" Arthur set a box in the corner. "Why love, what happened?"

I picked up my phone and opened the message. "I got a random text earlier and I'm pretty sure it's from my grandmother."

"Dude, how did she get your number in the first place?" Alfred took it and read through it.

"Well if you think about it, comrade, her grandmother took her phone and has been stalking her, da?" Ivan smiled at him. "Then of course she has her number."

"Don't make me sound like an idiot, commie!"

"Silly Alfred, I am not communist anymore."

"Anyway!" Yao ceased them before anything else erupted. "Do you know when she will be coming, aru?"

I shook my head. "It doesn't say and nor do I want to ask."

The Frenchie cocked his head. "Pourquois pas {Why not}?"

"I don't want to talk to her…" I sighed. "I guess I'm still pissed off at her, and a little scared, so I don't have the guts to face her yet."

"Ve~ you have us this time." Feliciano hugged me from the side. "We'll face her together."

I smiled at him weakly. "Yes I know, thank yo—" There was knocking at the door, making us all jump.

"She's here _now_?" Alfred hurried to the window to see if there was that limo. "I don't see anything unusual."

I peered into the peep-hole on the door. I sighed and opened it. "Took you long enough."

"You freaking left me out there!" Gilbert angrily shoved past me and slumped onto the couch. "So unawesome..."

"I knew we were missing a certain Prussian." Ivan giggled.

Francis laughed nervously. "What happened, mon ami?"

"She _almost_ wrecked my vital regions and ran off without me!" He crossed his arms and glared at me. I whistled innocently and wandered off to the window where Alfred was.

"It can't be today, right?" I asked him, trying the change the topic at hand.

He shrugged and let go of the blinds. "Probably not; I don't think she'll be _that_ mean." He gave me a reassuring grin.

"I hope you're right…" I grabbed an empty box and proceeded to my shared room. I threw in whatever stuff that I wouldn't need on a daily basis. _Some clothes… books… this notebook… Notebook? _I flipped through it and realized that it was a diary; Gilbert's diary to be exact.

_January 3, 20XX: I was Awesome today. I somehow ended up in weird girl's house along with the other unawesome bunch. There was no beer. I did not cry over that. I almost died but my Awesomeness prevailed! –Gil. _

"Wow," I shut the thing and tossed it to the side, "talk about rude." _Weird? Really..? _I shook my head and continued packing my things.

"_Alfred, don't just stand there and help us pack!" _

"_But we have like five days, what's the rush?"_

"_Oui, there's plenty of hands so it won't be so much of a hassle."_

"_Zip it, frog. It's best to be ahead rather than to rush and risk breaking things."_

"_Ohonhon~ we won't break your precious eyebrow treatment tools." _

"_What did you say, you bloody git?" _

I closed the box. _Are we going to be okay like this..?_ I lifted it and walked out of the room. As soon as I stepped my foot into the living room, the doorbell rang. I set the box down and peeked into the little opening on the door. I stifled a gasp and hurried over to the others. The room was a little wrecked from Francis and Arthur fighting.

"Guys! She's here!" I hissed at them.

"She is what?" The Brit stopped shaking the other blonde by the collar. He turned to Alfred. "I thought you were keeping an eye out!"

"I was getting a coke!" The American set his drink down. "The Hero gets thirsty too you know."

I waved my hand to get their attention. "Please clean up a little while I try to stall her, please?"

"Ve, we're on it." Feliciano saluted at me.

I scurried to the door as the bell rang for the second time. I opened the door just a crack and was greeted with a discontent expression. I laughed nervously. "I'm sorry for the delay, _ma'am_…"

"You sure took your sweet time answering the door," the older lady huffed. "Now if you will please let us in so I can see your living condition." She tried to step inside.

I stood my ground. "Why don't you check out the front yard first then?" I slipped outside and closed the door behind me. "It's pretty safe and closed off, right?"

"I looked at it long enough. I must see how this _shabby_ old house is from the inside." She made a face. "There were so many cracks and leakage. What a dump."

I gritted my teeth and disguised it with a forced smile. "H-how kind of y-you to notice? We tried our best with the maintenance things."

She didn't seem pleased and shrugged me off. "I will be entering now." She nodded at one of her men and he opened the door.

I slid past them and glanced at the living room. Yong Soo gave me a thumbs-up and I returned to the 'guests'. I led them in. "W-welcome to my house."

She took off her shoes and slowly walked into the living room. The first thing that caught her attention was the boxes in the corner. She glanced at me and pointed to them with her folded fan. "What are those for?"

_Truth or lie…? Ugh…_ "Well, as you said, it is a _'shabby '_house so we were planning to move…" I let her and her men to sit on the couch. The two guys decided to stand behind it though.

"Move? With your college boys?" She frowned at me and shook her head. "How can you allow yourself to stoop so low? I know your father raised you better than this; knowing very well that _I_ raised him properly."

_This lady…_"Look ma'am—"

"Here is your tea, madam." A cup of freshly made tea was set in front of her. Arthur smiled at her warmly.

She was caught by surprise. "Why thank you." She bowed her head politely and took a sip. "Ah, black tea is it?"

"Dui {Yes}," Yao walked out of the kitchen. He was wearing his Mandarin jacket and pant set. "It is perfect for the winter time, aru, when it is the hardest to maintain your health."

The lady placed her cup back onto the saucer. "That is very true, thank you."

_Thank goodness… things are going well so far…_ I sat on the stool nearby. "The man that served you tea is Arthur and he is one of my legal guardians. The Chinese person is Yao and he takes care of most of the maternal things."

She looked at them and then back at me. "Where are the rest?"

"Apologies gospozha {madam}, we were sorting out certain problems." Ivan loomed behind the two suited men. The brunette was frozen in shock as he realized that the Russian was almost a head taller than him.

"Ah~ you must be the belle madame {beautiful lady} Nana has been talking about." Francis strode into the room as well and presented the lady with a rose. "Je suis {I am} Francis Bonnefoy, your granddaughter's other legal guardian."

I saw her cheeks flush red as she took the flower. "How charming." She turned to me. "You have quite an international household."

I shrugged. "It just happened." _Okay…still so far so good._

"How do you know these _gentlemen_?" She asked. I swear I heard her giggle when Francis gave her another compliment.

"I…" I scratched my head, "I met them either at work or during night school and..." _Crud… what's a good excuse for them to have to stay with me?_

"As her friends, we felt bad about her situation and decided to be her famiglia {family}~." Feliciano glomped be from behind, almost tipping me off the stool.

I blushed at his comment. I supposed it was true but I don't know what she would think of it. They were better at something she was not even though she had the advantage—they were better at being a family.

"Is that so?" The lady took another sip of her tea. "I can't see why they couldn't have just simply supported you from afar."

"We tried madame but we couldn't leave her alone. It's too dangerous for a young girl as her to live alone." Francis put an arm over Arthur's shoulders. "So my _friend_ and I took the role as her guardians." The Brit forced a smile although he seemed to have wanted to shove the Frenchie right off.

She seemed to be deep in thought and consideration. She just nodded and softly whispered into one of her men's ears. He just shrugged and answered back in whispers.

"_Hey dude, I didn't know you kept journals."_

"_Got a problem with that?" _

"_Nope! I thought it was a girl's thing, that's all." _

"_The Awesome Me is not a sissy."_

"_Chill out, I didn't call you one."_

"_Your crapwad excuse of a brain thought it."_

I excused myself and entered the hall. I confronted the American and Prussian, who were just kneeling, hiding by the wall. I put my hands on my hip.

"Hey Nana. How's everything going?" Alfred grinned up at me. Arthur had probably told him to stay out.

"Fine… but would you two please stay quiet? Things are actually going well and I don't want the either of you to screw it all up…" I cocked my head and counted the units. "And where's Yong Soo?"

"On the computer." Alfred shrugged. "He called it, so, yeah."

I sighed. _At least he'll behave…_ I went back into the living room and continued the awkward conversations. After a while, the lady seemed satisfied and decided to leave.

She headed for the door but stopped and faced me. "I will return again."

_What? Really?_ I smiled the best I could. "Okay, when will that be?"

"In a week I suppose." She took out a small agenda. "I will be busy with business meetings for a while."

"That's too bad." I pretended to be disappointed although we both knew that it was fake. She gave me a look and started her way out.

She paused again and her face read seriousness. "I am still not changing my mind, about taking you in."

"What?" Alfred shouted from the other room. I heard some struggling, guessing that someone hushed him.

"Why is that, madam?" Arthur asked her. Without a word, she just turned around and left the house.

After seeing that she drove off in her limo, I slammed the door shut. I kicked at the shoes that were lined up neatly. _Why? Didn't they leave a decent impression?_ I felt angry tears swelling at my eyes and I ducked my face behind my bangs.

"We forgot to ask her if _we_ could stay with her, da?" Ivan seated himself on the chair.

"That's right…" The Frenchie groaned and combed his hair away from his face with his fingers.

"I was going to ask, daze, but Yao told me to stay put." Yong Soo crossed his arms and puffed his cheek at his Chinese elder.

I slumped against the wall and slid down to my knees. Feliciano scooted next to me and rested his head on my shoulder. "What do we do now, Nana?"

"'What do we do'? What do we do?" Everyone focused their attention on me as I raised my head. "I will tell you what we will do."

"I think she's officially lost it…" I heard Gilbert whisper to Yao. The Chinese unit just smacked his shoulder.

I decided to ignore him and smiled. "We're just going to move earlier. In two days, before she comes back for the next visit." There was a murmur of confusion and concern.

I saw Francis give me a worried look but I blocked it out. I got up and grabbed another empty box. This move was going to happen; it just had to. I stormed off to finish packing some more of my things in my room.

"See…" Arthur sighed. "It's better to be ahead than to rush later…"

* * *

><p><strong>Desperation mode activated *boop* (reference? You get an interweb cookie…) <strong>

**So, guess what I did? I planned the next nine or so chapters for this story! I don't really know why. I just sat down one night with my notebook wide open, not bothering to turn on the computer for once, and just planned, planned, and planned. Of course things are bound to change as I change my mind but still, am I crazy for outlining the next nine chapters? **

**Anyway, so yes, the return of the dreaded granny. I read through my reviews and took it all into consideration. I tried my best with Gilbert's attitude although I know it still needs major tweaking. I also added the tension between Alfred and Ivan, and also between some others. I think because of those changes, this chapter is also an experiment one. **

**I hope I did a little better ^^; Thank you for the constant reviews, faves, and alerts! I can't believe I have 80 followers and 89 faves! (I'm thankful for the fanfic update that tells me those stats more easily…)**

**I'll try my best to continue improving on my writing and characterization :) Thank you again.**

**-Miracle **


	41. Chapter 40: Parting Feelings

Parting Feelings

"Cheers!" Clinks of glass sounded throughout the parlor, followed by a sigh of replenishment.

The new house was bought, my school transfer was done, and evidently, Alfred's police job was also transported to the new town. We had our things packed and ready to be loaded onto the moving truck that was to arrive later in the day. All that needed to be done was to say our goodbyes and enjoy the party.

It felt weird though, with that old lady's words echoing in my head. I was moving away with the guys, who are college-aged. I saw them as my family although everyone else saw them as something else. I just couldn't detach myself from those thoughts no matter how hard I tried to convince myself that they were my family members. I overheard the neighbors and some of my coworkers. _What kind of reputation did I build for myself during the time I had them? And why didn't I think about this sooner?_

After the Hetalia units separated out to their own groups, I went up to Mr. Ciro and my boss from the bakery, April Hollender. They've known each other for a while and they were like my nanny and uncle while my mother was sick.

April noticed me coming. "What's up girlie? Do you need more drinks?"

I shook my head. "No, there's more than enough." I rubbed the back of my neck. "But I do have a random question for the both of you…"

Mr. Ciro tilted his head in question. "What is it?"

"Umm…" I looked down at my feet. "How come you two never questioned about the guys at my house? They did show up randomly and kept increasing in number…" Now I thought about it, Mr. Ciro never asked why Feliciano was with me when I first introduced him and had him work at Frosty's.

The bosses looked at each other and then started laughing. April patted my head as she calmed down.

"Is that what you were worried about?"

"W-what?" I just stood there confused as ever. I expected them to be more serious about it but no, they were laughing.

My other boss smiled at me. "We've heard of these 'Hetalia Units' from our other young customers." He shrugged. "After doing a quick research, we figured that you probably made the same mistake as those other kids."

"Yep! So we just decided to let it go. But of course we were a little worried at first since they all seemed to be boys only." April glance at the others. "Although…" she lowered her head to my ear, "that Frenchman is _very_ gorgeous…"

"April!" I hissed at her. I knew she was around his human age but still. Talk like that just made me feel uncomfortable, and she knew that.

She laughed and leaned against the counter again. "I'm just kidding~."

Mr. Ciro took a sip of his drink that smelled of some alcohol. "We trust you and your choices so we just hope you know what you're doing."

I looked at the two of them. _They trust me this much…?_ "I…" I played with the end of my hair, "I will miss you two… and thank you for all that you have done for me for the past three years…"

I was wrapped in a warm embrace. It felt like April was squeezing the life out of me though. "I will miss you too!" she cried, "What will I—I mean the bakery do without you?" I heard her slightly snivel. I brought myself to hug her back but I found myself having to calm her down after she started sobbing.

She finally let go and wiped her eyes with a napkin. "Remember to call me if you want more baking recipes, okay?"

I smile and nodded at her. "Of course I will. I'll ask you before cracking open a cook book." She started with her waterworks again.

Mr. Ciro patted her back and turned to me. "How in the world will I find another studious worker like you?"

Someone passed by and I pulled them over by their arm. I brought her up. "You still have Alissa, right?" I looked up at her. I saw her slightly blush as she adjusted her thick-framed glasses.

He laughed heartily. "Yes, Alissa! But I'm sure she'll need extra help. Not to mention, I will also be losing my star advertiser."

"I'm sure you'll find someone out there." I smiled at him.

"'Til then, I guess I'm stuck as your head server, huh?" Alissa put a hand on her hip. He nodded at her and she just sighed. Then, she gave me a quick hug and walked off somewhere else.

"Strange and spontaneous as always, that girl." Mr. Ciro chuckled to himself.

"Y-yeah…" I watched her for a bit and then turned back to my bosses. I bit my lower lip and brought myself to hug Mr. Ciro.

He patted my back. "You're also the strange and spontaneous one." He laughed but I could hear his voice breaking a little.

"Thank you for everything. I could never repay you…" I closed my eyes to keep myself from crying. I didn't think it would be so hard to go away from people you've known for years.

"Seeing you work hard and grow up every day was good enough for me." He held me a little tighter but it wasn't as hard as April's 'deathlock'.

We let go and I thanked the two one more time. I bowed at them and went back into the crowd of people. I got to a specific group of people, probably the only ones that actually needed to be here for this. I didn't really care for anyone else besides my bosses, Alissa, and my units of course.

"Nana!" Kairi came up to me and hugged me tightly. "Why do you have to go so soon? It's not fair!" She was crying again.

I gently patted her head. "I'm sorry…"

"Come on, Kairi. She has her reasons." Kyle pried her off of me but she just continued sobbing.

Lilia put a reassuring arm around her shoulders. "It's always hard parting with a friend but you have to make sure to send them off with your shining smile, right?"

"And a promise that you will see them again." Savannah muttered shyly. She was getting used to being with the bunch but continued her fashion flair and stubborn attitude. She was accepted at school with a whole new outlook as a trend setter and advice giver on anything fashion-related.

I messed with her hair. "Yes, definitely." Since she was shorter than me, I've been teasing her about her hair-perfectionism and height. Too bad that cannot continue anymore. I saw her tremble a little and I smiled at her gently. "Stay strong for me, okay?"

"I-I'm not crying or anything! It's just cold in here and all…" She sniffed a little and averted her eyes to the side. I just laughed and hugged her. She hugged me back almost immediately.

When I was done, I turned to the two guys. Kyle seemed really calm while Ryan's face read total devastation. _He's so predictable… _I went up to the blonde and put my hands on my hip. "Why the long face? Lost your favorite video game again?"

He blinked. "N-no, at least I don't think I did." He seemed ready to cry any minute.

I sighed. It wasn't his image at all. "Don't worry… I'll keep in touch. You have my contact info, right?"

He nodded. Just as I nudged his side with my elbow, Kyle socked him in the arm. He jumped back and held the places he got hit. "What the heck guys!?"

I laughed. "There's the energy." I turned to Kyle. "Thank you for everything. All the way from tutoring me with history and up to now with supporting me…" I blushed a little. I felt like he was always there for me, even at random times. I owed him so much.

He smiled at me with his usual settling smile. "You're very welcome."

I smiled back and faced the group as a whole. I straightened myself and cleared my throat. "I apologize for all the trouble I caused all of you." I looked at the guys, "From hospitalizing you to," I turned to the girls, "emotionally distressing you."

"We forgive you." Lilia glanced at the rest, "Right?" They all nodded. She faced back at me. "See?"

"Thank you…" I looked down at my feet again. "I will miss you all…"

Then, I was caught in a large group hug. I felt the 'group' get larger and larger as I noticed at my units and bosses had also joined. Normally, I would freak of claustrophobia since I could barely move but today, just for today, I decided to let it slide. A little part of me had died.

"Is that all the boxes?" I called out from the truck as I shoved in the last of our things. After the party, the truck arrived on schedule so we just went ahead and loaded it since we were planning to leave the next day. _Earlier the better, right?_

"Yeah, that's all, dude!" Alfred shouted from the house. Luckily he sped things up since he was just _naturally_ strong.

I marked off the last of the stuff on our checklist. _The computer… check. Random porch assortments… check. Gilbert's diaries… check. Maybe._ I walked out of the truck as I thought back. _It was probably in that last bo—_I lost my footing and was about to faceplant onto the cement. I braced for impact but two arms grabbed me before I hit the ground completely. I sighed in relief as I was lifted back up on my feet.

"Are you okay?" Kyle cocked his head. His breathe seemed a little short.

I dusted off my knees even though they barely touched the ground. I nodded at him. "Yeah, thanks…" I realized Ryan was also with him and he had the same worried expression. I straightened myself up and looked at them curiously. "Is something the matter?"

The black haired guy shook his head. "Nope, but," he held up a neatly wrapped container, "the girls wanted me to give you some cookies they baked after the party."

I stared at it and then back at the two. "Really?" _How sweet… _I took it and smiled. "Tell them I said thanks." I made my way for the house. "I'll put these inside real quick and—"

"I'll do it." Ryan snatched the clipboard and cookies from my hands and hurried into the house.

I raised a brow and turned to Kyle. "What's his deal?"

He just smiled. "He's feeling a bit troubled and can't shake it off."

I rubbed the back of my neck. "Is it because I'm moving?"

"That probably added onto his little conflict." He shrugged. "But I'm sure he'll sort things out soon."

_He's so confusing sometimes, that guy…_ I kicked at a rock sticking up from the dirt. "It's also because he likes me, huh..?" I sighed. Ryan's been trying to get close to me for the past few months but I just kept pushing him away. I'm just not ready to accept anyone like that. At least, that's what I think my heart is telling me.

Kyle ruffled my hair and laughed softly. "He's a really obvious person to read, right?" I shook him off and fixed my hair back into place. "But what's not to like about you? You're a strong and independent girl; brave at that." He looked at me longingly. "I admire those traits about you."

I blushed at the last comment and tried not to meet eyes. _H-him too? I mean I admired him too but for him to look up to me like that…_ "Good to know."

He glanced at his phone and sighed a little. "Well, my mom wants me back home." He came up to me and gave me a hug. "Have a safe trip and I'll be here if anything goes wrong."

"Y-yeah, thanks for coming one more time…" I hugged him back. "Tell Kairi and the others 'thank you' for me too."

He let go and messed with my hair again. "Of course." The gentle gaze in his eyes read a little sadness, something I have not seen from him before. It was something new and I was kind of glad I saw that part of him before I left. He waved and headed down the street.

"He's a cool person…" I muttered to myself quietly. I flinched as the front door creaked open and Ryan stepped out. I tried to stop blushing and spun around to face Ryan. "T-took you a long time to just put the things on the counter."

The blonde suddenly took my hand and led me to the side of the house; a small, shaded area that connected to the backyard. He still had my hand in his grasp and he stared at the ground for a while.

I looked at him uneasily. He's been so out of character lately and it bugged me. "What's wrong with you?" I just his grip tightened. I sighed. "…Please, tell me. I don't want to leave having to be worried about you and your issues."

"I'm just really pissed off at myself." He mumbled.

"Why?" I tried to see past his messy hair.

He looked to the side to avoid me. "I'm-I'm freaking sad that you're leaving but it's fair because I left you a long time ago… So, I shouldn't be this sad, right?"

"So you're worried about that? Big woop, I don't have a grudge against you for that anymore anyway." I combed my hair with my free hand. "Besides, it's only natural for someone to get sad over things like this so you don't need to be that hard on yourself…"

He turned his face back to me but eyes still away. "Why can't you just stay? You belong here…"

I sighed. "I think it sucks too but it's for my own safety… and reasons." I haven't told him and the others about my 'grandmother situation'. I thought it was just the guys' and my problem so they didn't need to be involved.

"I can't do anything without you, Nana… You kept me grounded and motivated me to keep fighting for what I believe in…" He finally met my eyes.

It felt like a surge went through me and I felt my cheeks blush again. Luckily, it was kind of dark so he shouldn't be able to notice it. _Was I really so important to him? Why does he keep treating me like this? Like I'm someone so sacredly special…_ "Baka…" I whispered.

"I think I'll be the biggest idiot you will ever know…" He relaxed his grip on my hand a little. It was a little sweaty.

"You always will be, baka." I tried to pull my hand away but the next move stopped my whole body and my mind altogether.

Ryan Hertz gazed at me, deeply blushing himself, and ran off. I slumped against the wall and brought my hand to my mouth. _H-he just…_ I stared at the ground, completely phased by what just happened.

"There you are, aru. We need to take some stuff back out of the truck." I heard Yao's sandals shuffle in the dirt.

I felt like I couldn't move. All I could do was to stand there. I was stunned.

"Nana?"

_That baka…_

* * *

><p>…<strong>Yup. Let's leave it at that…<strong>

**Goodbyes are always hard, no matter how many times you have to go through them. It's not easy detaching yourself from the people and places you've been close to and familiar with. I just thought I would add those feelings in this chapter. **

**So on a completely unrelated topic, I passed 150 reviews! Thank you everyone for the support ^^ Lucky 150****th**** reviewer, Pikapikaluv, received a sketch of her choice~ (on deviantart if you want to see). **

**So "40" chapters now for this story and it's been a year… Wow. I appreciate all the reads/faves/reviews I've gotten for all this time and I can't be thankful enough. **

**I found some Bros in the recent reviews too so *brofist* to you guys! :D **

**Anyway, I bet you're tired of reading my rambles. I'll keep on writing my best for you guys! **

**(…though school is coming back in like two weeks orz…) **


	42. Chapter 41: Moving Into Action

Moving Into Action

"Yo, Nana!"

I blinked and the previous heavy thoughts in my head drifted out the open car window. Alfred was pointing his thumb behind him impatiently as he drove. Through the various sounds of the highway, I could hear Francis, Arthur, and Gilbert fighting about something while Feliciano was somehow sleeping soundly. I didn't care what they were fussing over but I guessed that the American couldn't focus because of it.

I flipped down the visor and gave the three a look through the mirror. Francis noticed me and cleared his throat. He casually gazed out the window and pretended to be fascinated by the ever-so-dull scenery. Arthur scowled and turned away to the other side.

Gilbert crossed his arms. "Fine, ignore the Awesome me. See if I care."

I sighed. We headed out at about five in the morning and we were almost there; with the time being eight o'clock now. Ivan, Yao, Yong Soo were in the truck with all of our stuff behind us. As usual, I tried to sleep off my carsickness but a piece of memory kept popping up into my head partway. I blushed at the thought again. It wouldn't stop replaying. I put my hand over my mouth and rested my head back against the seat.

"So Francis," Alfred glanced at the rearview mirror, "what's the new house like? You never told us."

"Well mon ami," I heard him shift positions in his seat, "it's quite large so we definitely _don't_ need to triple up anymore."

"That's good." I commented. Honestly, I would rather have my own room for my own privacies but that was just being selfish. "Did everyone pick the room system or whatever?"

The car became quiet as the four sat there in contemplation. Alfred shrugged.

"I'll go with Feli or Yong Soo."

"Yao's the only rational one around here besides me," sighed the Brit.

"Big brother will take Gilbert~."

"Back off, creep!"

Arthur leaned forward. "What about you, love?"

I stared at the road. "I guess Ivan since you picked Yao." This felt like a team game or something where you chose your teammates. Ivan would make a nice roommate compared to the others now I thought about it though. I counted off the rooms and people. "That leaves Yong Soo by himself."

"Well that isn't very fair, is it?" Francis rested his chin on my seat from behind. "I think you should have a room for yourself instead."

Arthur made a face and shook his head. "I can't believe I'm agreeing with the bearded frog but I say that that is a good idea."

"Dude, now that's decided." Alfred grinned. "Yong Soo can just go with Ivan then because I don't think Feli will be able to handle it."

I looked back at them. "Are you sure? You don't mind?" My mind was screaming in joy but I just wanted to make sure. The three blondes nodded while Gilbert just scoffed. _Eh, three against one. Good enough for me. The others should agree too..._

"Pasta~!" All eyes went to the sleeping Italian and then we carried on about with our individual thoughts.

After about twenty minutes, we finally got to our destination. It was a rather nice looking house; and I couldn't blame them since they were European and preferred nice architectural designs. It was two stories with a garage on the right side. The walls of the house were a neutral green color with a gentle dark brown-colored exterior shutters. There was a gate with intricate designs on the left side that led to the door once you turned to the right. It was a very nice looking house compared to the old one.

"What do you think, mes amis?" Francis asked us as Alfred drove the car up to the street. The truck made its way into the drive way so we could unload more easily.

"It's pretty amazing," I undid my seatbelt, "can't wait to see the inside."

"Good eye, dude!" Alfred shut off the engine and got out. Everyone else followed suit.

I saw Yao stretch after getting off the truck, with the help of Ivan since it was high up. He hit his back with his fist. "Aiyah, that was a long drive."

Yong Soo jumped off and examined the house. "It's so closed in, daze~." He stretched as well. "But it's still nice."

Ivan giggled. "Da, I agree. The colors are nice."

Francis went up to me and handed me something small, cold, and jagged. I stared at the key and then at him. He just grinned and gave me a wink. "Will you do the honors, mon princesse?"

"Uhh… sure." I slowly made my way up to the house and through the gates. The rest of the guys followed me. I inserted the key into the knob and opened the door.

We were greeted with an open area that led to what I guessed was the foyer to the right. I took off my shoes, as automatic habit, and peeked into the hall. It felt like a maze already even though it was just one corridor. There were several doors and openings along the way.

"Awesomeness coming through." Gilbert shoved past me and walked down the hall. He looked around as he went and disappeared to another part of the house at the end. Yao and Yong Soo also went down the hall, probably in search of the kitchen. While the rest were getting their shoes off, I decided to explore as well. I turned to the right again, opposite of where the three went. I entered what seemed to be the guest room. There was a closet and bathroom in it. _Not bad…_ I left the room and scurried down the hall. Past the foyer were a spacious room to my left and a bathroom to my right. A little further down was a closet on one side and a set of stairs at the other.

"How is it so far, comrade?"

I jumped a little and spun around to face the Russian. "I-it seems pretty nice; a lot of room for us."

He smiled. "That is wonderful news. I will go look upstairs." He went ahead, with the boards creaking just a bit as he made his way up.

I caught my breath after his sudden voice and proceeded out the hall. It was a spacey area with the kitchen to the left and what I guessed would be the living room to the right. It was a comfortable space.

"There is enough space for me to make my other dishes, aru!" Yao said excitedly.

Yong Soo stood in the space where the fridge was supposed to be. "Do we need to buy one, daze? Or did we bring the old one?"

I went up to the counter in the middle of the kitchen. "We brought the old one. It was the newest appliance in the house." _Yeah, after we decided it couldn't hold everyone's preferred food and drinks…_

"Ve~ look at the empty space." Feliciano scampered into the living room and rolled about. "I could have my siesta here!"

Arthur rubbed his head. "You do realize that we still need to fill the house with our things, right?"

"Oh, right."

I smiled a little. _That's our Italian for you…_ I decided to go upstairs now. I've always wanted to live in a two story house so this was kind of exciting.

It turned out to be two flights of stairs instead. I arrived into yet another open area for some reason. I always thought that there was a smaller space after going up the stairs. _Guess it could be a gathering place if something happens…_ I shrugged and continued my exploration. I discovered a master bedroom with also the master bathroom, and a large walk-in closet. _…Francis' room?_ I walked out and found a fourth bathroom and two more bedrooms. I turned a corner and spotted the laundry room. Continuing that path was the last bedroom. It was a fair size just like the previous two.

I leaned against the window. "This is a huge house…" I walked toward the closet to see if it was just the same as the others. It slid opened before I touched it.

"RAH!"

I let out a short scream as I stumbled back. I clenched at my shirt over where my heart was pounding rapidly.

Obnoxious laughter filled the room as the Prussia stepped out. "You should have seen your unawesome face!" He kept on laughing. "Priceless!"

I stood up, using the wall as support. "Y-you're crazy!"

"That was freaking hilarious." He wiped a single tear from his red-tinted eye. Satisfied, he turned to leave the room.

"Privet {Hello}~."

Gilbert let out a scream more girly than me and shut himself back into the closet. I glanced at the door and saw Ivan. He just innocently waved at me and I just stiffly waved back. _That's what you get…_

Ivan beckoned me to come. "We're going to unload now so Arthur told me to get everyone outside."

"Alright." I tied my hair back and took off my jacket, tying the sleeve around my waist. _Time to get to work…_

"Come, comrade. It's time to help~." The Russian tapped on the closet door.

"Nein!"

I laughed nervously. "Let's go you two…"

After couple of hours of unloading the truck, boxes after boxes after boxes, we were all done by noon. I slumped right into the couch and let out a breath of relief. "Finally…" It was all inside now.

"Here comes the fun part- unpacking..." Arthur held up an X-Acto knife. Alfred, Feliciano, Yong Soo, and I all groaned in response.

Alfred set down his water. "Dude, can't we take a lunch break first? That's gonna take forever!"

"Oui, Big brother is hungry." Francis took the knife out of the Brit's hand and set it down on the table. "Plus, we have to take the truck back."

"Fine you lazy gits." Arthur put on his jacket. "Yao, the frog, and I are going to go get lunch then."

I waved a lazy arm at him. "'Kay, bye." He huffed and the three nations left.

Gilbert sat himself upside down on the couch. "They better get a pack of beer. My awesome blood is made out of beer! I'll die without it!"

"You and beer…" I sighed.

"In that case, vodka would be nice too, da?"

"And wine~."

"And coke!"

"Makori, daze!"

I facepalmed at all except the coke. _Alcoholic units, lovely…_ "How about some awesome water?" They all just looked at me. I cleared my throat. "A-anyway, I think we should put the boxes that belong to us in our rooms…" Earlier while the boxes were being unloaded, everyone went around and sticky noted each bedroom. I ended up with the guest room. Francis and Gilbert had the master bedroom, Ivan and Yong Soo had the room next to them, Alfred and Feliciano had the room above mine, and Arthur and Yao had the one beside them.

"We should move the furniture first," Alfred lifted a bedframe and mattress, one in each hand, with ease, "so we don't lose track of space."

I could never get over how strong he was. "Y-yeah good idea." I picked up a dresser with Feliciano.

"Let's go." Ivan also handled a bedframe without breaking a sweat.

"I got this, daze~." Yong Soo held the mattress for the bed Ivan was holding.

Gilbert flicked his hand at us. "You unawesome guys go do that while I take a nap—"

"Help!" Everyone shouted at him in unison.

He recoiled a bit and reluctantly got up. He muttered under his breath as he picked up a lamp. "I don't deserve this treatment. I am the great awesome Prussia!"

We all were halfway up the stairs when he exclaimed the last part. Feliciano and I paused for a quick break since the dresser was heavier than expected. The American and Russian were already up while Yong Soo almost flattened the two of us with the mattress.

"Ve~ this is heavy, Nana…" Feliciano whined. He did help out with the boxes earlier but they were on the lighter side. Then again, I wasn't very strong either. Gilbert came up the stairs and the Italian went up to him. "Can you help us, please?"

His scowling expression turned into a cocky grin. "Watch how the awesome me handles this thing!" He handed the lamp to Feliciano and prompted himself to lift the dresser.

I got ready and we got it off the ground. "This goes to the master bedroom to the right."

"Yeah yeah whatever."

We made it up the stairs and placed it in the designated room. Feliciano set the lamp on top of it and turned to the Prussia. "You were really great! Grazie~."

He patted his head with the grin still on his face. "Awesome Prussian always at your service!"

I scoffed. _Show off…_ I went down the stairs and as I turned a corner, a foot stepped over mine. Surprised, I pulled back but the weight was still down on my foot, and it felt like something shifted out of place.

"Oh! Sorry man." Alfred stepped over to the side and peeked past the shelf that was blocked his view. He smiled apologetically and went upstairs.

I swallowed and took a step. Thousands of sharp needles stabbed at my ankle. I gasped in pain and used the wall beside me as support. _J-just a sprain right?_ I looked down at my foot that was starting to swell up. I hopped over to the couch and examined it. I tried moving it but the pain just kept multiplying.

Yong Soo lifted my desk and glanced at me. "Your face is pale, daze. I think you should take a break."

"O-okay, I'll do that." I gave him a weak smile and he continued his task. _I need ice… but there's no fridge… _I tried walking on the foot again to get to the box with all the medical stuff. I bit my lower lip to hold in the pain and opened the box with the conveniently placed X-Acto knife that was next to it. I searched for an IcyHot patch or something of that sort. There was nothing. _I have to call Francis…_ I took my phone out and dialed his number.

"_Allo?"_

"Hey, uhh where are you guys right now?"

"_We are at the supermarche {supermarket}, almost ready to check out. Pourquois {Why}?"_

I sighed in relief. "Could you buy some ice and an IcyHot patch? You know, the ice to cool our drinks and food to put into the cooler while we get the fridge running, and a patch in case someone strains their muscle too much…"

"_We've gotten the ice but that is a good idea for the patch. Is there anything else?"_

"Nope, it's all good. Thanks, bye." I shut my phone. _Now that's taken care of…_ I limped over to the couch and raised my foot up onto a cushion. It was even more swollen.

"I'm freaking tired!" Gilbert marched up to me and slumped onto the couch, right where I was resting my foot.

I winced in pain and buried my face in the cushion next to me. _That idiot! Get off!_

"What? Is my presence too great for you?" He sat up, causing more pain. "Hey, are you even listening to me?"

I raised my head and kicked the Prussia off with my good foot. He fell over onto the ground. I held and massaged my swollen ankle. I could barely feel it attached to my leg.

"What the heck was that for—holy crap!" Gilbert pointed at my foot. "What happened to you?!" He shot up. "It wasn't me right? I'm not that heavy!"

"Shut up and calm down!" I let out the tension that was building up inside of me because of the pain. "I just sprained it or something while moving stuff, that's all. Just calm the heck down…"

"I'm no doctor but that does not look like a sprain, padrooga." Ivan handed me a cool water bottle. I place it on the swollen area.

"Dude! What happened to you?" Alfred stared at my foot.

It was he who had caused it but it was my own fault for pulling back. I didn't want to blame him just like that. "I dropped a box on it…"

"Ve! Please be more careful."

"So that's why you were sitting earlier. Why didn't I notice it earlier, daze?"

I sighed and placed the cushion over my face. What a wonderful start on the first day of the move. Now I'm temporary disabled. At least, I hope it was temporary; a sprain that would heal overnight. _It's okay, right?_

* * *

><p><strong>Abrupt ending but I was running out of space and time –v-;;<strong>

**I finally updated! Just a day before school too, oh geez (I start on the 20****th****). I would have updated sooner but I was busy prepping and cleaning and yeah. . . **

**So Nana and the units are settling down in their new house. Pretty nice place and all but she just had to get herself hurt. Before you ridicule, this injury has happened to me before so it is possible. (I did it on the last week of school too, hurray. . .) Better than knocking her out for like the millionth time in this story, right? :P **

**The house descriptions are based on a house/floor plan of one I found over google. If you want visuals then I'll try to link them for you over PM. **

**My update days will now be out of order because school ish starting up again. It was a nice summer and I thank you all for your support!~**

**Ps. This is early thinking at the moment but I do need some new characters for future chapters in this arc. If you would like to create a character profile for me to use then feel free to leave it in the review or PM me! (I can message you the exact details I would like). But one condition- like Kairi (who belongs to hop-step-jump-shugoshugo), I would like to be able to control them as I please. . . (selfish I know but that's my style. I still stick with their personalities though). **

**[9-1-12 EDIT: I've been receiving a lot of character bios so I think I will close the character profile contributions for the time being. Thank you to those who were interested! :D]  
><strong>

**Thanks again, hope to update soon!**

**-Miracle**


	43. Chapter 42: Quick Happenings

Quick Happenings

_Clack. Thud. Clack. Thud._

"Arthur."

_Clack. Thud. Clack. Thud._

The Britishman, who was having his afternoon tea, looked up at the teenage girl with a walking brace and crutches.

"Yes, love?" He took a sip of some earl grey.

I lifted the metallic aid in hand and pointed it at him. "I'm going out. Genderbend me, please."

He choked a bit and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "W-what did you say? I don't think I heard you clearly."

I lowered the crutch. "I want to go check out the school and pick up my things ahead of time."

"Pick up?" He made a face. "But you are in no condition to go outdoors. We can just wait until Alfred and Yao return with the car."

I groaned. After Alfred took me to the hospital like the hero he is, the doctors told me that I fractured my ankle. I did not like being treated like a cripple. "I can handle it. I'll bring someone with me."

Arthur still didn't seem pleased. "Why the 'genderbend' though?"

I rubbed the back of my neck. "Just in case, you know, if _she_somehow tracks us here..." I've been petrified by the thought ever since we started packing the first boxes. By being a guy when I went out, except for school, suspicions might lower a bit.

"That is a good point." He sighed heavily. "And I can already tell you are not going to change your mind at all so, fine. You may go outside." The unit stood up and briefly left the dining room. Shortly, he came back with his wand and casted his spell.

I glanced down at myself after the cartoon-like poof of cloud disappeared. I was wearing dark grey jeans, a fitted black long-sleeved shirt, and Vans. To top it off, I had on a scarf and fake glasses. I smirked at him. "A little fashion forward today, aren't we?"

His face flushed a slight red. "W-well, it _is_cold outside and you would be easily spotted if your eyes were seen clearly. There would be so much trouble if I did not prepare this much."

_Such a tsundere…_"Thanks, _Artie_." I clacked toward the front door before he could make a fuss, but I could hear him muttering stuff under his breath already. "Yong Soo! Let's go."

The Korean came downstairs with a bag to hold my school stuff and we headed out into the fifty-degree weather.

_Clack. Thud. Clack. Thud._

"Hey Yong Soo," I looked up from the map I printed out before the whole move, "are you attending school again?"

He crossed his arms, making a big 'X'. "No way, daze. The homework was a pain, all the history was wrong, and I keep getting scolded by aniki; I'm done with this American education, daze."

I laughed nervously. "A simple 'no' would have been fine..." I looked at the map again as we made a turn. I was going to a public school now. I was not sure what the difference would be but I knew one thing for sure—no uniforms. _What a pain..._

The Korean brought his hands behind his head. "Are you going to attend as a guy?"

I stopped myself from tripping for a second and caught up with him. _Crap!_Here I was picking up my school stuff and posing as a guy instead. "I... I'll just say I'm a twin brother."

"But if you're a twin brother then shouldn't you be enrolled too?"

I hung my head. _True_... "Fine, older brother then. I'll say 'she hurt herself too so she couldn't make it'."

"You're talking in third person or something." He snickered. "What's the school called?"

I glanced at the paper again. "Promenfield High School. Colors: Purple and white. Mascot: a horse."

"Completely different from the other school." Yong Soo laughed. "Purple and white too? Random, daze."

"I know, huh?" I looked up in front of me. "Oh, there it is."

There was no intimidating gate that stood in front of the entrance; just a campus ready to take in students after their winter break. We spotted the front office and luckily made it before the closing hour.

Yong Soo gazed out a window as we waited for my counselor. "It's an outdoor school, daze!"

_Outdoor school, huh?_"See any lockers?" I sat down and laid my crutches to the side. I was worn out. The walk took longer than I anticipated and my arms were not used to the pressure.

"I see lockers. Don't have to deal with crowded hallways with a campus like this though." The Korean smiled at me.

I rested my head against the wall. "That's nice. No stairs to go up to either."

"Yukibara?"

I sat up as a lady in her mid-thirties walked into the room. "Yes—well, Nana's older brother." _That felt weird to say…_

"Ah." She tiled her head. "Was Nana unable to come?"

I nodded. "She caught a cold recently and I wanted her to rest it out until school." _Dang it, I changed my excuse… but that still made sense, right?_

"That's unfortunate, but it's very kind of you to come in her stead, even with your injury." She had a look of concern on her face. "I hope you both get well." She turned her attention to Yong Soo. "And who would you be?"

He grinned. "I'm—"

I held up a hand. "He's our cousin. He was going to carry the stuff for me."

"Very well then." She smiled warmly at me. "Now then," she sat down at her desk, "all of her enrollment registration things have been taken care of. She just needs her ID card, schedule, textbooks, and locker, correct?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"You could get all of those things but the ID card today. She would need to take a picture for that."

_Great, pictures. Why not just go with the ID number?_"I'll let her know."

"Thank you." She got up and picked up a paper that she just printed. She handed it to me. "Here's her schedule and go to the library to pick up the books."  
><em>Basically the same schedule... That online placement test for math was interesting though<em>. I passed the schedule to Yong Soo. I faced back to the lady. "Thank you, Ms..?"

"Ms. Heathers." She smiled. "And you are..?"

_Name! Uhh..._"K-Kaoru."

"Well Kaoru," she adjusted her glasses, "before I forget, tell Nana that I will have someone show her around the school on the first day." She handed me a slip of paper with some contact information. "She is a really great person so I say Nana should communicate with her before the first day to get familiar with her."

_I'm going to have a personal tour guide, huh..? _"That would be great for her, thank you."

She nodded in agreement. "Anytime! I left my contact information too in case something came up."

"All right then." I stood up and Yong Soo grabbed the crutches for me. "Thank you, Ms. Heathers."

"You are very welcome." She opened the door for me. "And good luck to the both of you when you get to the textbooks." We thanked her one more time, picked up the five books, and made our way back home.

"I need a break, daze…"

"I do to too…"

We plopped onto a bus stop's bench and took a huge sigh of relief. Yong Soo rubbed his shoulder that held the weight of the messenger bag while I leaned back against the bench and placed my arms behind it to stretch out the muscles.

I rested my head on the metallic bar. "I'm thirsty. I wish we brought a drink."

"I see a vending machine, daze. I'll go get us something." He got up and headed toward a gas station.

_I'm seriously going to gain muscles from this… So tiring…_ I pulled out the piece of paper with the contact information. _Sydney Grimm…_ She was a year older but was still in my grade and very social according to Ms. Heathers' description. I put the paper away and sighed. _Meeting new people all over again…_

I saw Yong Soo wave at me from across the street. He pointed at the buttons, asking which drink I wanted. I directed him to the coke. He grabbed the cans and got ready to cross. He waited as a black car drove by.

My eyes widened as it focused on the driver. I immediately looked down. I could feel cold sweat forming on my skin. _H-how..? I have to get back home and tell the others…_

"What's wrong, daze? Did I pick the wrong soda?"

I took my coke. I opened and drained it down my throat. I crushed the can and let out a burp. I wiped my mouth and tossed the empty container into the trashcan nearby.

Yong Soo's mouth hung open. His Sprite was barely opened. "Whoa... Were you _that_ thirsty?!"

I grabbed my crutches. "Sure; let's get home now." I got a head start.

He caught up moments later with the bag and books. "Wait, what's the hurry, daze?"

_I don't like repeating myself so…_ "Yao told us to hurry home. We don't want to be scolded later, right?"

"Then let's hurry!" He prompted himself to speed walk. I went as fast as I could.

"Home at last!"

"Don't yell at us, daze!"

I fell onto the couch out of pure exhaustion. Instead of my head meeting the comfortable lumpy cushion, it was something else.

"Welcome home, comrade."

I gasped and sat up in a startle, kicking the coffee table with my injured foot. I covered my face and sunk back into my first position out of agonizing pain.

Ivan laughed lightly. He patted my head. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean for that to happen."

_Gahh…_ I took a deep breath and sat back up, more carefully this time. I took off my glasses and wiped a tear that formed in my eye. "It's not your fault…" _That was embarrassing… _

Yong Soo scurried to where we were. "Aniki didn't say anything about coming home, daze."

_Oh yeah!_ I turned to the Russian. "I-I think I saw my grandma's 'goons' earlier…"

He titled his head in question. "You did?"

I nodded. "I saw them. I recognized the license plate too…"

"Do you think they saw you?" the Russian asked, with a slight hint of worry in his voice.

"I-I don't know, I looked away when I saw them. It didn't seem like they did." I looked at Yong Soo. "Did you notice anyone following us on our way back here?"

He shook his head. "Only random people every now and then but no suspicious guys."

I reached for my nonexistent strand of hair. It became a habit for me to play with it when I got nervous, but I did not have it now. I sighed and got up. "I need to refresh my mind… Taking a shower." I hobbled over to my room but paused. I hopped to the bottom of the stairs. "Arthur!"

The Brit peeked down from above. "What is it?" He seemed a bit annoyed. Alfred was probably messing with him earlier.

"When is the spell going to expire?"

"I can undo it now."

"Yes please."

I happily went to take a shower as my girl-self. Well, happy because I had my own body but not so happy with the showering part. I couldn't take off the foot brace for the first few days so I had to put a plastic bag over it. I sealed it the best I could and tried not to fall over while balancing on my good leg. Then it occurred to me that a bath would be a better idea than a shower, but I only wanted a quick run right now so I didn't feel like waiting for the water to fill the tub. Washing my hair was okay but the rest took a while.

When I was done, I was more worn out than earlier. _I think I'll take a nap after this…_ I hopped out of the shower and dried myself. I reached for my clothes but my hands touched the bottom of the basket. I felt around to make sure I didn't miss it. _I know I brought them with me…_I looked around the bathroom but still couldn't find my clothes. _Great… my other clothes aren't unpacked yet either... and I don't remember locking my room's door…_I opened the cabinet under the sink and pulled out a bathrobe I've never got around in using. _Finally comes in handy…_ I carried on my usual routine, pulled off the plastic cover and dried the wet parts of my foot, and hopped out of the bathroom.

"_Dang it! She has a freaking bathrobe!"_

"_Hush mon ami! I did not know she owned one either."_

I facepalmed. _Of course…_ I grabbed my crutch and jammed it through the closet's slight opening. Two shrieks sounded as a result. I slowly pried it open and glared at the two units.

"I… will give you two ten seconds to return my clothes and get your sorry behinds out of here…"

Francis shook slightly. "Now, now, ma cherie, we were only jokin—"

"Ten…"

Gilbert crossed his arms. "Y-you don't scare the awesome me."

My eyes narrowed and I stared at them with an air of condescension. _I can do many unspeakable things to you, you fool…_ "Nine…"

The Frenchie quickly placed my clothes on my bed and hurried away. The Prussian still remained in place, though I sensed some level of fear.

"Hah! You can't get rid of me."

I lunged the crutch toward his head but hit the wall behind him; a few millimeters stood between the bar and his ear. He held in a gasp. _So… freaking… persistent…_ I grabbed him by the collar of his white dress shirt and glared intently into his red-tinted eyes. "Get out."

A trembling hand shoved me away and the albino sped out of my room. I kept balance with my crutch and tightly closed the door, making sure to properly lock it.

After dressing into an oversized tee-shirt and cargo pants, I sprawled onto my bed, face down. I was extremely tired and thanked the heavens for it being a Saturday, meaning I still had one more day before going to school. I glanced at my phone for the time. _5:45pm… there's still time to nap…_ I lazily rolled to the side and grabbed a folded up piece of paper. _But first…_ I added the girl that I was supposed to talk to into my contacts. As I was going to compose a text message to her, I received one instead.

"What do you want..?" I mumbled in my pillow. I clicked it open without considering who it was from.

My brain snapped back awake.

"_I will find you. –I.Y."_

* * *

><p><strong>Sound the alarms, stalker alert!<strong>

**Aiyah… I was having a super hard time with this chapter. I mean I know I planned ten chapters like I mentioned in the earlier A/N but I didn't add details, and giving Nana a foot injury was something I added for fun, which interfered with my earlier set plans OTL;; Finally came up with something decent. **

**Anyway, I thank you guys who decided to give me some character bios as requested in the previous A/N :3 They were really fun to read and I'll try my best to use each one of your characters at some point in my story. As you can see, I'm already starting to use one already! I'm not accepting anymore at the moment because I need to work the ones I already have into the plot and I do have some of my own characters in mind to create and use as well. **

**As always, I thank you all for the continuous support for this manual fic whether if it's reading every chapter, reviewing, faving, or subscribing! It keeps me hyped up to keep writing more ^^**

**On a completely different note, I left a poll on my profile. A bit personal I guess since it doesn't really have direct impact on the stories themselves. Please please check it out if you can! I'm a really indecisive person so it helps me out OTL;; **


	44. Chapter 43: Restart

Restart

_Hair brushed, face washed, breakfast eaten. _The leftover cereal crumbs in the bowl danced about in the milk as I stirred about with the spoon; I was lactose intolerant so I refused to completely finish it all.

Today was my first day of new school. Francis picked out my outfit and Yao packed my lunch; he didn't approve of the American school lunches. Arthur was going to drop me off to save me some time and energy.

Feliciano cleared the table and placed the dishes in the sink. "Are you ready? ~"

I put the carefully packed lunch in my bag and nodded. "Let's get this over with." I got up from the table and headed to the front.

I sat on a small stool to put on my shoes. Arthur was a step ahead. He slipped on the boot the Frenchie wanted me to wear to complete the outfit he picked out for me- a white, long-sleeved, loose-fitting, cowl-neck dress with a ribbon tied around the waist. Instead of jeans, or pants of any sort, I had to wear black tights and matching black leather boots.

"Way to be a gentleman, dude." Alfred yawned as he came up to us from the hall.

The Brit just scowled at him and then helped me up. "Let's hurry, love. Your friend wanted you to come early, right?"

"She's not my 'friend'..." I muttered when I slipped past him through the door.

"Buona fortuna [Good luck]!" Feliciano waved at me with a goofy smile on his face.

"Wouldn't wanna be ya'!" Alfred and Yong Soo shouted in unison as they waved too. The rest of the units showed up behind them to see us off.

Arthur helped me into the car and then settled into the driver's seat. He started the engine and turned on the heater. It was about forty-five degrees outside and was expected to rise to the high fifties later.

"You guys rented the car just to drop me off?" I put on my seatbelt.

"Well," he adjusted the rearview mirror, "no, not exactly. We were going to buy more beds now that we have the room to." He pulled out of the driveway.

I waved back to the bunch at the front door. When I couldn't see them anymore, I leaned back into my seat. I tugged at the tights and skirt. They looked nice and all but they were not exactly comfortable.

"You were a victim of being a dress up doll again."

_Victim... good word._ "Yep..." I glanced at my slightly bulging bag. I smiled to myself. I packed a back-up outfit to change into when I got to school.

"You packed an extra change of clothes, didn't you?"

I raised my head up at him. _Psychic much..? _ I smirked. "You observant _git_."

We both laughed and soon I realized that we were at my destination. My text tone also went off.

_"Meet me in front of the library."_

I was going to reply but another message came up.

_"If you can find it."_

"O-K. I will meet you there." I said out loud while typing it all in.

In the meantime Arthur had gotten out of the car and opened my door. "Have a good day, love. Don't start a fight."

"Yeah yeah." I took his open hand and was helped up. I grabbed my bag but paused halfway. I turned to him with a suspicious eye. "You guys aren't going to sneak around again, are you?"

"Don't be ridiculous." He made a face but then chuckled slightly. "Don't push yourself too hard now." He handed me my crutches too.

I swung on my bag and took them. Before I walked away from him, I muttered a small 'thank you'.

"Anytime." He glanced at his wristwatch. "I have to get going now, love."

I nodded and waved at him as he left. I sighed and turned around, realizing that I had several people's attention. _Gah..._ I slowly made my way past some buildings.

_Do you think that was..?_

_Come on, he can't be real._

_Don't deny it! _

I sighed. _Hetalia fans?_ It was probably the best idea to stay out of their way. Don't want Arthur to go through _that_ again. I put my weight onto the crutches and proceeded to the rendezvous point.

In front of the library, leaning against the wall, there was a girl with long, wavy brown hair that was up in a ponytail. She wore grey cargo pants and a dark hoodie.

_Long, brown hair in a ponytail and a hoodie... That's what she said she would be in today... Must be her..._ I clacked toward her and her attention immediately went to me.

She grinned and got onto her feet. "Are you Nana?"

I nodded. "I'm going to assume you're Sydney."

"No duh, Sherlock." The girl laughed. "So we went over pretty much everything yesterday and all I need to do is it show you around, ja?"

"Yes." _German_? "But can you show me where the bathroom is first?"

"Got to go already?" She shrugged. "Okay then." We went past the library and turned some corner.

"Thanks, it'll be a second." I got into the bathroom and was glad that no one else was in there. I went ahead and took the biggest stall. I pulled out the clothes from my bag and changed as fast as I could. I took off the dress-like thing and pulled on a striped long-sleeved shirt. Instead of the black tights, I put on, with some difficulty, my jeans. I slipped the boots back on, wrapped the scarf Ivan made me around my neck, and stuffed everything else in the bag. I fixed my hair and got out of the stall. I slipped behind some girls that were applying their makeup. I got outside and found Sydney talking with someone.

"I totally saw a guy that looked like Iggy!"

Sydney raised her brow. "Do you have photographic evidence?"

The girl who made the exclamation recoiled. "N-no, but we seriously did! Right, Irene?"

I looked past Sydney and saw that there was another girl, who looked to be the other's twin. She nodded and held up her phone.

"Nice Irene," her look-alike grinned and raised the device up to match Syndey's height since she was about five inches taller than the two.

_I hope I'm not in that picture..._ I hesitated on whether if I should go up to the three or wait for the twins to leave. I didn't want to keep my guide waiting but I didn't want to be harassed with questions by the other two. I felt a tickling in my nose.

"Bless you," Sydney called out after I sneezed. She glanced up and had a slight look of surprise on her face. "So that's why you took forever."

I laughed timidly and went up to her. "Yeah, I'm sorry about that..."

"Parents like to dress you up or what?" She smirked.

"You could say that." I played with the end of my hair. I noticed two pairs of eyes staring at me and glanced up.

They looked almost exactly alike but I could sense the difference in their personalities. The one to the left had wavier hair and a more outgoing air while the one to the right had straighter hair and a quieter feel.

The more outgoing one stared at the phone and then at me. "Wait... you're that girl in the picture."

I felt my cheeks warming in this cold weather. "Y-Yeah. What about it?"

Sydney laughed. "You know, you sounded like a weird creepy stalker when you said that, Ly?"

"Oh shut up! I was just saying."

I laughed weakly along. "It's fine..." I peeked at my phone for the time. There was ten minutes before the bell was to ring. I turned to Sydney. "Can you show me where my locker and first class are?" I handed her my schedule and locker info.

"Ja, of course." She took the papers and glanced at them. She told the twins that she had to go and the German girl led the way.

I opened my locker and dumped the unnecessary stuff into it, including the clothes. _I feel lighter already..._ I rubbed my shoulder and closed the door.

Sydney had a vacant look on her face as she was staring at me. Starting to feel uncomfortable, I waved my hand on front of her face to snap her out her trance.

She blinked a couple of times and grinned. "Sorry about that."

"It's okay." I put my bag back on.

"Hey, Nana..."

I tilted my head at her. "Yes?"

She cleared her throat. "Nevermind." She glimpsed at my schedule again. "Okay off to... Chemistry first thing in the morning."

"Lovely..." I followed her as she made her way to some row of classrooms. Some people stared at me. I ducked my head down and bit my lower lip. _I hate being the new kid... Not to mention that I'm also a cripple…_

"So Nana," the German girl slowed down for me, "how did you hurt yourself? The counselor didn't mention anything about it."

"Oh, uh..." I looked down at my injured foot. "Moving accident."

"That sucks." She point to room 709. "There's the chem room."

I took a mental image of the place. "Thanks."

"No problem." She handed me my schedule. "Well I gotta go to my class to do some last minute homework." Her smile was a mixture of guilt and mischief. "Meet me at lunch, ja? I want to know how you're doing!" The tomboy rushed off as the first bell rang.

I watched her leave and stuffed the schedule in my pocket. _Nice person_... I yawned and then prompted myself into the classroom where I greeted the teacher and went over the gist of what's going on in class. And that repeated two more times.

"My gosh." I heaved a heavy sigh and rested my head on the desk. It was break period but I went ahead to my next class and took a seat. Being in crutches all day plus having to go through classes as the 'new girl' exhausted me.

It was all good until my stomach started to growl. My locker was at the other side of the school and I did not want to get up just to get a granola bar. But I was getting hungry. _I should have had more for breakfast..._

Out of nowhere, a bundled up napkin was placed in front of me. I traced the extended arm up to its owner.

I leaned back in my seat. If I was not mistaken, it was one of the twins from earlier. The quiet one. With the straighter hair.

She smiled warmly at me and beckoned me to take the bundle.

I looked at her uneasily and opened it slowly. Inside were full of snickerdoodles, homemade I wanted to assume. I pointed to myself and glanced up at her.

She blushed slightly and nodded quickly.

"Uhm, well, thank you." I prompted myself to take one. I took a bite. It was good, and by good, I meant really good. The butter and sugar were really rich and it was chewy, just how I like them made.

She seemed relieved and sat down on the seat next to me. She set her binders and stuff on the desk and pulled out a notebook.

The silence she was giving off was a nice change to the usual rowdiness I was surrounded with but at the same time it was building an awkward air. She didn't seem to mind though.

"So..." I rested my injured leg on the basket under the seat in front of me. "Where's your _look-alike_ friend?"

She shrugged. She just swung her legs back and forth, staring at the ground.

"Okay then." I nibbled on another cookie. "This is really good, by the way. Did you make it?"

She nodded excitedly and the blush came back. An air of triumph was around her.

"Nice." I took a glimpse at the clock. _Five more minutes..._ "I used to be an apprentice for at a bakery." I played with the end of my hair.

She looked at me with a surprised expression and smiled, showing me that she actually was interested in what I was saying.

_Is she just really shy..?_ "Yeah, but I've barely touched anything that has to do with baking," I lifted a cookie, "until now."

Her cheeks flushed red again and turned her attention to her feet again.

I laughed quietly as I finished the cookie. I swallowed and was about to ask for her name but the bell rang. She gasped and quickly packed her things away and sped outside.

I stared at the doorway and turned away when people started to file in. I stared at the cookie the nice and silent girl gave me. _Guess her class was at the other side of the school..._ I shrugged and bundled the treats away before anyone asked for a piece. Opening my notebook, I got ready for language arts.

"My cheese is burnt."

I turned to the German girl as she stared grimly at her school-bought pizza. At the beginning of lunch, Sydney texted me to meet her by some classrooms that apparently was the spot she and her friends had claimed.

"I'll have it!" Ly raised her hand. That was the name of the more outgoing twin. Sydney slid the cheese right off the bread and handed it her.

Irene, the other twin, just laughed at the sight. She and Ly were indeed sisters and according to the other, Irene lost her voice from a cold so she couldn't talk.

I ate the fish and vegetables Yao packed me. It felt awkward eating with my chopsticks at school but no one made a fuss about it.

"So, how's your day so far?" Sydney looked at me curiously.

"It's alright for the first day." I ate a piece of fish. My classes were not that bad. A lot of people complimented my eyes and hair and asked about my injury. Nothing else really happened.

Irene held up her notebook. _'I gave her cookies.'_

"What? Is that where my cookies went?" Ly gaped at her twin. She nodded innocently in response.

"I still have some left." I dug into the front pocket of my bag. My hand touched my phone and I felt it vibrate.

_A text..?_ I handed Ly the cookies and I took out my phone. I stared at the screen and a slight air of gloom hung over me. I missed five calls and ten messages, all from the guys at home.

I got up as the device started vibrating again. "I'll be back in a bit..." I hopped around a corner and sat down behind a wall. I answered the phone. "Hello?"

_"Ve! She answered!~"_ I heard footsteps shuffling on the background.

I sighed. "Sorry about that. What do you guys need?"

_"Oh nothing,"_ the Italian answered. _"I just wanted to see how your day was so far~."_

I smiled gently and rested my head against the wall. "You worry too much, Feliciano. My day is fine. Are Francis, Alfred, Gilbert, and Yong Soo behaving?"

_"You kol'd?"_

"Ivan?" _When did they change?_ "No, not really. But is the house still in one piece?"

_"Da, no need to worry padrooga."_ I heard his giggles from the other side.

I felt a chill go down my spine. Not sure if it was because it was cold or if it was because of the Russian. "What's everyone doing?"

_"Ah, ma cherie~. Ca va?"_

I stared vacantly at the small foliage in front of me. "...Are you drunk?"

_"Hey, Frenchie! The Awesome Me wants to talk to the unawesome bi-"_

_"Do not call her that you albino wanker!"_

There was unexplainable ruckus going on in the background. I didn't want to waste any more time with this. I simply hung up, took a deep breath, counted to five, and exhaled. It was nice of them to check with me but really? With that chaos going on? That only stressed me out more.

I got up and the gloom I had earlier returned. I was no psychic but I sensed a presence hiding around the corner behind me. I held my breath and slowly approached it.

"I knew it! I freaking knew it!" Ly jumped out and pointed at me accusingly.

I raised my hands up in defense. "K-knew what?" _Oh no…_

She crossed her arms and smiled slyly. "You're a Hetalia fan. And that England from earlier..."

I swallowed. _There goes my cover_.

"He was a hard core cosplayer! You and your friends are dedicated fans, aren'cha?" I was a bit surprised to hear her southern accent come out.

_Sweatdrop moment_… I laughed nervously and rubbed the back of my neck. "Okay, yeah, you got me..." I returned to the table where Irene and Sydney were doodling on the smaller girl's notepad.

"Guys! Guys!" The outgoing twin rushed up to them. "She's a huge Hetalia fan like us! I heard her talking on the phone."

The German rested her chin on her palm. "What happened to 'going to the bathroom'?"

Ly stopped and cleared her throat. "I mean..."

I sighed and scratched my head. "It's fine; it's true anyway so might as well get that over with."

"Sweet." Sydney smiled. She crossed her arms and looked at me challengingly. "Favorite character?"

I stopped short. I've never actually thought about it. "Umm…" I rubbed the back of my neck. Guilty as charged, I used to like 'Prussia' but living with him completely threw him out of the question. "I guess… North Italy."

"Or _Iggy_?" Ly giggled as she nudged her sister. Irene blushed a little and hid her face behind her notebook. "I like Italy too, both of 'em actually, Spain, and Japan."

Irene scribbled something real quick and turned her notepad over. "_I like the F.A.C.E. family…"_

"Romano and Prussia for me." The German girl leaned against the table and stuffed her hands in her hoodie pocket.

I nodded at all of their responses. It was great to be with other Hetalia fans for once but I felt uneasy at the thought that I owned at least one of their favorite characters. If they met them then things would probably go downhill. _Just smile and nod…_

Just smile and nod.

* * *

><p><strong>Choppy ending is choppy again. But hey, how you guys doing? :D<strong>

**I… have no excuse. I really wished I could have updated sooner but time slips away so fast. I've worked on it for three weeks total and now it's up. I feel happeh though not very satisfied. But still very happeh. (It is 4 in the morning. I have no idea what I'm saying at this point…) **

**Nana starts school and meets three new Hetalia fans. Sydney Grimm belongs to "partner IN crime XD" and the twins belong to "Leixym". (Thanks for the characters! I hope I didn't screw up so badly on their personalities orz;; ) **

**I can't think of anything else at 4 in the morning… **

**Final statement: I have a Tumblr now~ I may not update my stories very often now but I will be posting my random creative bouts on my tumblr page. My account is 'kisekinochoucho' ^.^ **

'**K, bye. **


	45. Chapter 44: Hide and Seek

Hide and Seek

"See you tomorrow." I waved meekly as Sydney and her ride pulled away from the parking lot. The twins had already left and the German girl wanted me to hang around while waiting for her mother.

_Time to go home... Maybe. _I walked out of the campus. My ankle was well enough for me to walk on now, with the boot still on though. I don't know how Yao does it but he did stuff and, well, it's not fractured anymore. Explaining its healing to the doctor was interesting.

I glanced at my phone. _4:30... _I looked at the oranging sky. There was still time to mess around before going home. I decided to head to the 7-Eleven that was on the way to buy some gummy worms or something.

I passed by a grocery store and heard some frantic shouting.

_"I've already apologized! You can't make me say it again!"_

_"Ve! Please calm down~." _

_"You need to apologize to the manager, sir."_

_"I don't have time for you unawesome ba—"_

I did not need to look into the store to know who it was. _He's going to get it from me and Arthur later..._

I took a deep breath, straightened my appearance, adjusted my bag, and strode inside. I followed the voices to the drinks aisle where I saw a half-collapsed soda structure with a huge puddle of colorful nonsense in the middle of the floor. I won't ask how that happened but it was Gilbert we're talking about.

"Nana!~ What are you doing here?" Feliciano pranced over to me.

"I would like to ask you two the same..." I gazed at the albino nation at the other side of the puddle. He quickly looked away.

A burly man with a thick beard and eyebrows stormed up to me. He impatiently pointed the end of his pen at Gilbert.

"Is he your friend?"

I glared at the unit and then faced whom I guessed was the manager. "Y-yes. I apologize for the damage and his attitude."

He didn't seem pleased at all. He crossed his thick arms and glanced at Gilbert sternly. "I would _appreciate _it if I heard that straight from _his_ mouth."

The Prussia scowled and marched up to us. He pointed his thumb at himself. "The Awesome Me already apologized to your freaking employee. Isn't that good enough?"

"Look here _boy_; we can let this drop after two simple words."

I reached over and yanked Gilbert's ear down to my face. "If you don't apologize and help clean this mess then I will ban beer for two weeks. And I'll put Ivan in charge of making sure you don't get a hold of any..."

It seemed as though a shiver went down his spine at the last point. He growled and muttered some words.

"What was that?" The manager cupped his ear.

"I...rry..."

I crossed my arms. "Loud and clear."

"I said I'm freaking sorry!" he shouted.

"Hmph." The manager took the mop from his employee and handed it to Gilbert. The man left to apologize to the nearby customers.

I sighed and turned to him. "Not that hard, dude."

"Shut up, you unawesome bi-"

"Ve~ don't worry, I'll help you." Feliciano had a mop in hand as well. The Prussian's expression lightened up at little.

"Thank you, Feliciano." I glanced at a list that was sticking out of his jacket pocket. "Were you two sent to do some grocery shopping?"

"Si~. Yao was busy with something so he told us to go." The Italian pointed to a cart. "We got most of the stuff."

It seemed as though the cart was rammed into the soda cans. I saw that half of the things were soaked from the drink. _Coke flavored cereal, my favorite…_ I laughed nervously. "How about I finish up and head home while you guys clean up here."

"Whatever." Gilbert wrung out the mop to get the excess fluids out.

Feliciano tilted his head to the side. "Are you sure? It will be a lot to carry."

I waved my hand. "Yeah, I'll be fine. If I need your help then I'll wait for you two to finish instead."

He smiled. "Ve, okay." He handed me the scrap of paper with the desired goods and some bills to pay them with.

I made my way up and down the aisles and then purchased the stuff. The store offered student discounts for people in high school and higher so I used my ID. I slipped my card in my coat pocket. The groceries ended up being in six full plastic bags. I asked the cashier to put them into the reusable bags instead since they held more. It was down to three reusable bags. Counting my school bag, I would have to carry four bags total. The man gave me an uneasy look as I loaded myself up. The weight distribution wasn't so bad. I just gave him a reassuring smile and marched out of the store.

It was darker than I thought outside. Even though it's January, I never realized how dark it got before six. I wobbled through the streets as the load was getting to me. I was almost home. _I'm never doing this again…_

I waited for a car to pass by before crossing the street. When it was clear, I made my way down slowly because my foot was starting to ache. Headlights were approaching. I hastened my pace. I safely got to the other side but my boot found no grip on the surface of the ground. The bags and gravity forced me backwards and my head slammed against the concrete curb.

I just laid there as pain rushed into the back of my head. My vision was blurring out. The last thing I saw under the dim lights of the street lamps was an older looking person rushing up to me. Then darkness.

"_26…27…28…29…30…"_

"_Huh..?" I found myself sitting in between crates in some storage room. It was all dark except for the gleam of the moon that reflected against a mirror. _

"_Ready or not…"_

_I sat still. Is this a game? _

"_Here I come…" _

_I ducked low and peeked at the mirror through the thin spaces of the crates. I saw a shadow of a small figure. It held a pair of sharp-looking scissors. _

_Swish Swish._

_It made its way into the vision of the mirror. It was a beaten-up stuffed doll. A red thread loosely held her torso and mouth together. Her eyes were complete voids of darkness. The scissor gleamed in the dim light. It was old and rusty looking. The doll moved sluggishly, hobbling at each step. The tool, or perhaps a weapon, in hand snipped at the air threateningly. She looked directly into the mirror._

_I silenced a gasp and turned away. Her eyes had met mine. Her movements sounded closer and closer to where I hid. Was that doll trying to kill me? What kind of game is this? I held my breath. _

_Snip Snip. Snip Snip._

_The air was still. _

_Snip Snip. Snip Snip. _

_A large shadow projected itself in front of me. _

_Snip Snip._

_My eyes widened. I looked up. _

_Snip Snip._

_The doll smiled widely. _

_Snip Snip._

_My vision filled with red._

I woke with a startle. Then I cringed and winced in pain. The back of my head was throbbing. I felt around and realized that some cloth concealed the bruise area.

"Ve~…"

I stifled a gasp but then calmed down when I saw Feliciano sleeping at the edge of the bed. He was sitting on chair and had an Italian cookbook under his arms. I smiled and gently stroked his auburn hair. _Why was it always him that made me feel that everything was okay?_ This reminded me of the time when Ryan and I were at the hospital. _Ryan…_

I cast a glance at my clock. It was seven. _So I was out for about two hours... He probably wouldn't mind…_ I reached over for my phone. I started composing a message. _'To: Ryan; Hey…'_ I stopped and shook my head. This was silly. It's Thursday and he's probably busy with homework or video games. I was about to hit 'Clear' when the door suddenly swung open and Feliciano woke up with a shriek. The startle made me misclick and hit 'Send' instead.

_Crap…_ I tried cancelling the send but it was too late. I just stared at the screen.

"You're finally awake, daze!" Yong Soo scrambled into the room along with Gilbert and Francis.

Feliciano was rubbing sleep out of his eyes. When he came back to reality he gasped and locked me in a hug. "Nana! We were so worried! You promised you wouldn't get hurt anymore!" I was shook back and forth. My head started to spin.

"Fe-li-ci-a-no, p-lease s-s-top!" He let go and I fell back into my pillow. I held my throbbing head.

"Oh no, I'm so sorry!" he cried.

As I sat up again, Francis came up and put his hand under my chin. He tilted my head up a little and looked me back and forth. His concerned blue eyes met with mine and I felt myself blush. He smiled and swiped his hand against my cheek before letting me be. "Feliciano and Gil told us their part of the story. They found you unconscious on the ground but—"

"But Miss Elizabeta was helping you!" The Italian exclaimed in wonder. "I didn't recognize her at first because she was wearing male clothing but I saw her!"

I looked at him curiously. _That person was Elizabeta..? Does this mean a unit owner lives around here..?_ "What happened when you guys came?"

Gilbert let out a scoff. I glimpsed past Francis and saw that the Prussian had a dark bruise on his cheek. "She freakin' hit me with her pan and ran off…" He scowled. "The Awesome Me did not do anything!"

I couldn't help but to laugh a little at that. "Then you two brought me and the groceries home, the end, right?"

"Yep." Yong Soo smiled. "But Aniki and Eyebrows went somewhere so we didn't know what to do with your injury."

"Oui, your head was bleeding."

I looked at Francis. "Bleeding..?"

"Think you landed on broken glass too…" muttered Gilbert.

"No wonder it was hurting more than it should." I felt the cloth on my head. "I think this makeshift bandage is doing fine." The only thing it wasn't helping with was my splitting headache. It was getting worse now. "F-Feliciano?"

"Ve?"

"Can you get me some Tylenol and water?"

He nodded and pranced out of the room.

"As for the rest of you…" They looked over at me. "I think I'm going to sleep my headache off so… shoo."

Yong Soo and Gilbert exited. Francis bent over and kissed my forehead.

"Bonne nuite {Good night}, ma cherie."

I ducked under my blanket. "Good night…"

He chuckled and left the room too. I told Feliciano to leave the meds and water on the desk. He left as well and closed the door gently behind him.

I shuffled out of my covers and took the medicine. I was about to go back to bed but then my phone's text tone went off. I opened the message. A lump formed at my throat.

It was a picture of Ryan, Kyle, Kairi, Savannah, and Lilia at the lunch spot at school. The bottom caption read 'We miss you.'

I closed my phone and hid back under the blankets. My heart ached. My head ached. I was in for a long, long night.

"_Hey Nana?" _

I opened my eyes. I went to school the next day but after lunch my head was killing me so I retired to the Nurse's office. Arthur used some magic to create an illusion that I had no injury on my head so my only excuse was a headache. Before I knew it, it was the end of the day so I missed my last two classes. I sat up and drew the curtains aside.

The twins smiled once they saw me and Sydney set a stack of papers next to my bag.

Irene held up her notebook. 'Are you okay'?

_I guess she still hasn't gotten over her cold yet…_ "I'm feeling better than earlier, thanks." She smiled in response.

"I thought the nurse would'a kicked you out by now." Ly grinned and sat on the bed opposite to mine.

"Well she did call for my…" _Darn it… uhh…_ "uncle but he wasn't around so a family friend is coming instead. I've been waiting for him but he was probably working or something." _I mean Alfred was working and he's probably going off duty now…_

"Makes sense." Sydney set down her backpack. "Do you have the flu or something?"

I shrugged. "That and I did have to wake up early to finish my homework." I slept through the night because of the medicine. I woke up at four for whatever reason but I couldn't go back to sleep so I scrambled to finish my homework that I never started.

'What were you doing?' Irene asked.

I laughed nervously. "I… I went out for dinner with my family and we didn't return home until later. Then I fell asleep while I was working on homework."

"Dang, your family's crazy." Ly sat crossed legged on the bed. "My brother will make sure we don't have homework if we're going out at all."

'_Crazy'… perfect description…_ "Y-yeah…" I rested my head against the wall. I heard a car's engine turn off and looked out the window. A guy with blond hair and glasses and a hair kink—_Oh no._ Fortunately the girls' backs were to the window. When they saw my expression, they looked out too but there was no one in sight.

The German girl looked at me questioningly. "What's wrong?"

I cleared my throat. I didn't want them to see Alfred. "I think I forgot my chemistry notebook in my first period class… Could you guys go get it for me? I need my notes to do my homework tonight."

The twins exchanged glances and shrugged. Ly got up. "Sure, be back in a bit." She took Irene's hand and the two rushed out.

Sydney watched them leave and then checked her phone. "My ride's here. Guess I'll see you Monday." She swung on her bag. "Tell the two I had to go for me, ja?"

I nodded and waved her bye.

"The hero is here!" Alfred strode into the room a moment after Sydney left. He came in through the left hall while she left through the right. _I hope she didn't see him... but with that exclamation…_ I got up and peeked out the door. Her headphones were on her head. I sighed in relief. It was most likely she didn't hear him.

"Miss."

"I'm sorry." I went to the nurse's desk while Alfred was signing some things.

"Write your I.D. here, sweetie." She pointed to a spot next to my name.

I took the pen. "It is…" I stopped after the first two digits. _What was it again..?_ I searched for my ID card. I couldn't find it anywhere._ Where could I have put it?_ I sighed. "I don't remember my number."

"Oh well." She took the papers. "I'll figure it out. Just get better over the weekend, okay?"

I gathered up my stuff. "Yes, thank you." I was about to leave but I paused. "Will you tell the twins that I was in a hurry to go? Thanks." I shoved Alfred outside and urged him to quickly start the car.

"What's the hurry?" He sat in his seat and turned on the engine.

I got into the car he was borrowing from his partner. There were scraps of trash here and there. I settled myself down. "There's a special at McDonalds' that I think you will be interested in."

"What are were waiting for? Let's go!" He pulled out and gone were we from the parking lot.

The car steadily headed for home. "You lied…" said Alfred glumly.

"I'm sorry. I think I had the date wrong…" I laughed nervously. _I feel bad… I've been lying all day…_ I stared out the window. I saw that the curb I slipped on had ice on it and a shattered alcohol bottle was nearby. _Wow, where's the warning sign when you needed one?_ I shook my head. A figure walked by. She had on an oversized sweatshirt and jeans, and her long brown hair was tied back. Her green eyes looked up at the car as we drove by.

I raised a brow. It was the person in my vision before I blacked out. It was Elizabeta. She smiled and waved at me and I naturally waved back. When she was out of sight, I sat back in the seat.

"What's up?" asked Alfred.

"Nothing, just thought I saw something."

"Seeing stuff? You're not like Iggy are you?"

I laughed. "Who knows, maybe I am." I glanced at the rearview mirror.

_Who could she belong to? And why was she out in the streets like that..?_

My head was hurting too much for me to think clearly. I wanted to thank her though.

Maybe I'll see her again.

Who knows?

* * *

><p><strong>I feel like my endings are getting more and more… incomplete. I don't know what the word is but it's something along those lines. Blah. Anyway…<strong>

**How has everyone been? It's been a while since I last updated this one. School consumes my life but then again I am in junior year and that's the hardest year according to most people :P (I love you Thanksgiving break). **

**I know I said previously that I planned the next ten chapters or something but I realized that the arc would go by too quickly so I needed to think of another element(s) in the plot. So to think of those up, I now have an excuse to have writer's block~. **

**That little nightmare blurb was kind of random, I know. I wanted to write something for Halloween really badly but I didn't know how to write it. So, I vented it out right there. It's like a combination of IA's song "Hide and Seek of Isolation" and Corpse Party. No, I haven't played it but I've watched a YouTuber play it (Cry…). They both had pretty freaky plots so I decided to combine them together~.**

**Ve~ Okay you probably want me to shut up now. I will. Not sure when the next update is but thanks for your loyalty to you followers :D I've been getting new alerts here and there and that makes me happy. I feel like everything's dead when I don't update for over a month, and, well, yeah. Happy Miracle is happy. **

**Thanks for everything~**

**-MiracleHeart**


	46. Chapter 45: Concealed Honesty

Concealed Honesty

"A physical exam?"

The twins and Sydney exchanged looks and nodded at me.

I stared at them. "They actually do those here? I thought it was only for athletes or something."

Ly laughed. "Yeah, but it's not as big as the ones they show in anime or Japan so don't worry."

"I see..." I rested my chin in my palm as I played with the remaining contents of my lunch.

The twins went on over personal things concerning their bodies. _Now that I think about it, I think I gained some weight..._ I closed my lunchbox and slid it aside.

"You three worry too much over nothing." Sydney waved at the air as if she was dismissing the problem. "Don't stress over it, ja?"

We looked at her and then lowered our heads. "Ja..." the three of us repeated in unison.

"Good." She seemed satisfied and tackled some last minute work.

"Oh yeah, Nana." Ly turned to me, "We couldn't find your notes the other day."

_Oh right..._ "Sorry about that. It was hiding in my bag the whole time." I pulled it out from my binder.

Irene wrote her message on her notebook. 'And then you had to leave in a hurry.'

I nodded. "My family friend had other errands to run so he wanted me to hurry." She gave an expression of understanding in response. I looked up and saw that Sydney was looking at me suspiciously. I busied myself by putting my lunch away. _Uh oh… Maybe she did notice Alfred then..?_

Two more classes, after school chat with teachers, and a walk home later, I was a little tired so I decided to take a shower to refresh myself.

_Physical exam huh..._ I rinsed my hair that had grown about four inches in the past six months. As I was washing myself, I realized something that had slipped my mind. A lot of my scars still existed. I looked in the mirror and they were clearly visible on my pale skin. 'Gomen {Sorry}' was still carved in my shoulder. There was that gash in my back and the wound from the gunshot was faintly visible.

I groaned. People were bound to wonder what happened to me before I moved here. I quickly dried and dressed myself and hurried into the living room. Once I stepped in, I bumped into Arthur.

"What's the rush, love?" He held me still.

"Ve~ Nana, I made hot chocolate." Feliciano waved from the kitchen.

I waved back and turned back to Mr. Eyebrows. "T-there's apparently going to be a physical exam tomorrow at school."

"What's the big deal about it?" Gilbert asked from the couch. He was sitting upside down reading a magazine for whatever reason.

_He doesn't know about everything yet then..._ "Let's just say I have battle scars that I don't want shown."

Yao sipped his oolong tea. "Could you be excused, aru?"

I shrugged. I should have asked more about it at school. "Maybe, but that just makes me sound more suspicious, doesn't it?" He just shrugged.

"What if you had a private doctor or something check-up on you instead and they could send the info to your school," suggested Yong Soo.

"Wouldn't that be the same as excusing yourself?" Alfred plopped onto the couch and rested his legs on Gilbert's stomach. However, it was more like a drop than a subtle placement.

"Gah!" The Prussian groaned in pain and slipped off the furniture. He shot up and faced the American. "What was that for?!"

"Chillax dude, I was just sitting and you were in the way." Alfred picked up the bowl of chips from the ground and started eating some. He held one up for the other unit. "Want one?"

Gilbert smacked it away and it broke into crumbs. "Don't joke with The Awesomeness!"

"Okay, The End." I pulled him away from Alfred before anything else went wrong. He's been grouchier than usual ever since the grocery shop incident. It was probably because Arthur and Yao have been nagging at him more than ever.

He spun around to face me. "And why don't you just quit worrying? Physical exams don't even take that long!" He gripped my wrist and held it for about twenty seconds. "Healthy heart rate, done."

I pulled back and bumped into Ivan. He put a hand on my head. "Hmm... about five foot eight, da?"

_Are they seriously playing doctor now?_ I stepped out of the way but was immediately lifted up.

Alfred held me princess-style. "Mmm... maybe 13—"

I jumped out of his arms. "Shush!" It was scary how he could tell my weight.

He grinned and held his hands up in defense. "Okay, okay sorry, dudette."

I looked around the room. "Y-you guys are done, right?" I stepped back cautiously. _I feel both embarrassed and... _

"My turn, daze!"

_Violated!_ A mini squeak slipped from my mouth. I threw my head back and he released upon contact.

"Ack!" He knelt down, holding his forehead.

I held my head too because it hit near the spot where I last crashed. I collided into Feliciano and hot liquids spilled onto our shirts.

"Hot hot hot." The Italian set the mugs that had contained freshly made hot chocolate a moment earlier aside.

I just sat there in defeat, kneeling on the soaked ground. _Really…_

Yao sighed and whacked Yong Soo with a folded up newspaper. "Why are you so reckless, aru?" He turned to face everyone else. "That goes for all of you too."

"Well _he_ started it!" Alfred pointed at Gilbert.

Arthur also sighed. "We don't need to play the blame-game, you git."

"It's fine." The guys turned to me. I got up and held my arms across my chest. "It's fine. It's my fault for making a big fuss about it."

"But!—" piped Yong Soo.

I put a hand up to stop him. I decided to retreat to my room for the time being to cool my head, and to change my shirt. About an hour after lying on bed, staring into dead space, I went on to doing my homework.

It was quiet in the house, aside from some hustle-bustle here and there. Then before I knew it, it was time for dinner. I clicked my pen close and shoved my completed assignments in my bag. With the house quiet, I was able to focus rather than having to stop pointless arguments or something along the lines. Most of the guys didn't find jobs yet and the bills were beginning to look daunting again.

I wandered into the dining room and saw that it was bibimbap. _Guess Yao let Yong Soo prepare dinner tonight... And since when did we even have most of the ingredients?_

I helped set the table with Feliciano and just as I was going back to the kitchen, someone pulled me over into the hall.

Their breath reeked of wine. "F-Francis?"

The said unit had rosy cheeks. He grinned rather merrily. "Ma cherie!" He hugged me tightly, even lifted me off the ground for a second.

I looked up at him. I've been wondering where he was all day. "W-what happened? And are you drunk?"

He let me go, still grinning. "J'ai trouvé un travail! {I found a job!}"

I clasped my hands together. "Congrats!..." Then I dropped them again. "Though I can't seem to understand why you're drunk..."

He laughed and messed with my hair. "Je ne suis pas ivre {I am not drunk}. It happened to be my new boss' birthday so we went out for some celebratory drinks."

"Ah..." _Birthday, huh?_ I glimpsed at the calendar and then back at him. I still think he's drunk. "Are you eating later then?"

He nodded. "I'll still be at the dinner table, don't worry." He strode into the dining room and greeted everyone else. I shrugged and continued doing my share in setting everything for dinner.

Once the meal was served, it was funny seeing everyone's reactions to the food. I haven't had bibimbap for a while but I personally enjoy it. Since we obviously don't have any stone bowls, we just used regular ceramic ones so it wasn't the same. It was still good though. However, it was still a bit quiet.

"Ve~ it's so colorful." Feliciano finally proclaimed as he lifted a spoonful of rice, spinach, beef, and egg.

"I say the more colorful it is, the healthier, aru." Yao eyed Alfred as he said that.

The American was halfway done with his bowl. With a full mouth he glanced up at the other unit. "What?"

I stifled a laugh and continued eating my own. I noticed Yong Soo watching me eagerly. I finished my bite and wiped my mouth. "I-is something on my face?"

He looked reassured. "I thought you were still mad, daze." He smiled and leaned back in his chair.

_Oh, that…_ I still was a little but I should have seen it coming. I waved my hand as if I was shooing away a fly. "Don't worry about it."

"If you say so, _almost_-birthday girl." The Korean unit finished his bowl and got up to put together more.

I think I choked on some zucchini shreds. I took a grateful drink of water and set the cup down. Arthur, Francis, Yao, Yong Soo, and Feliciano looked at me with knowing smiles while the rest had one of surprise.

Ivan tilted his head. "Your birthday is coming up?" We celebrated his birthday about a month ago and it was quite… something.

"Dude!" Alfred put an arm over my shoulders. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Feliciano, who was sitting on the other side of me, clasped my hand in his and smiled brightly. "What do you want, Nana?" His brown eyes shone in wonder under the hanging lamp.

At that, everyone was anticipating for an answer. "I…" I swallowed and felt my face gradually turning red. "I don't really want anything." I stared down at my lap. "Because I have all I want and need here with me right now…"

"Even the Awesome Me?" Gilbert smirked at me from across the table.

I cleared my throat. "Yes, even you." I raised my head again. "In any case, you don't really need it to make it a big deal. Just a simple party will make me more than happy." I had a slight feeling that they were going to go over-the-top anyway, but I didn't want to expect too much.

"How old are you turning?" asked Ivan.

"16."

Alfred got up abruptly and the table shook. "Are you crazy?! Having a Sweet 16 is the tradition here in America! We _have_ to make it big!"

_I forgot that we have the grand nation of America himself here…_"But I'm Japanese by blood so I have the choice of having a regular one because we don't believe in those." In Japan, the only big deal when it came to age was 21.

"But still! You can't miss out!" He pointed at Feliciano. "You're in charge of her outfits and dress and stuff." He turned to Francis. "You're in charge of the cake." He pointed at Yao and Yong Soo. "You two are in charge of the food."

Ivan raised his hand. "And what are you going to do, Alfred?"

"I'm in charge of the whole organization!" He made his trademark thumbs-up pose. "Because I'm the he—"

I slammed the table. "Stop!" Alfred finally shut up and everyone's attention went back to me. I sighed. "Do I get no say in this? I want something normal and simple. Is that too much to ask?" I didn't want anything extravagant. I might be pulling a Switzerland card but I don't think we can even afford it with our income right now. Plus my birthday was in four days- on January 20th.

"But…" objected Alfred, "don't you want—"

"Al," Arthur cut in, "just sit. We don't need to make a fuss about it now."

"Right, aru. Your food will get cold."

"And cold bibimbap isn't the best, daze!"

"…Fine." Alfred muttered and sat back down. He pushed some leftover rice here and there in his bowl.

I sighed. I whispered an apology in his ear as I stood up and cleared my dishes away. I went off to my room and settled into my chair. It spun twice and I propped my legs up on my bed. I stared at the ceiling. _What did I even do for my birthday last year? _I couldn't really remember at the moment so I gave up and went to read some manga for the rest of the night.

The next morning, I dreadfully and fearfully went to school. The physical exams only took place during PE and luckily the twins and Sydney didn't have that class with me, and luckily again, the actual examination was a one by one sequence. The guys, and partially Sydney, were right; I shouldn't have been that worried.

The look on my nurse's face though. I accidentally told her that it was 'self-inflicted' to avoid the idea of being abused at home or something and that heightened her concern more than it should have. I meant to say that I've ran into accidents of my own but it was probably too late to tell her now. She was nice though and told me to 'be careful' in life. I didn't have the heart to tell her that it would be pretty inevitable in my case. 'I will try', I told her in response.

"Irene, you need to stop feedin' me your cookies." Ly crumpled up her exam results. The four of us decided to be in the library while the three waited for their rides.

Her sister hid behind her notebook. 'I barely grew an inch…' it read.

"I'm with you, Ly…" I folded up my results and threw it somewhere within my bag. I've gained three pounds from the last time I checked. It shouldn't be a big deal but still.

The three of us looked at our German companion. She just shrugged. "I'm a healthy teenager girl. I don't have any issues or complaints, period."

"Then again you're a tomboy so I guess these things don't really matter to you, huh?" The outgoing twin poked her friend's cheek with the eraser side of her pencil.

"You could say that." Sydney moved her head away from the other's reach. "You should just be happy with what you have."

I rested my elbows on the table. "I guess."

Soon, the twins and Sydney left for their rides and after fifteen more minutes, I finally decided to leave too. I buried my face in my scarf as a sharp winter wind blew through the street. I crossed a street and stopped at the place where I last fell. The glass had been cleared and the ice was gone at this point. Now that I thought about it, I probably dropped my ID card here somewhere. I kicked some fallen leaves around in hopes of finding a sliver of white plastic. It was weird though. I remembered my ID number multiple times before but I couldn't at the nurse's office. _Maybe because I was in a hurry…_

After shuffling about for a bit, and cleaning up my mess, I decided to head for home.

"_Hey, you! Wait up!" _

I glanced back and saw a figure running in my direction. They seemed familiar so I stopped and waited. _Long brown hair that's tied back… male clothing..._ The person came closer. _Green eyes… Wait._ I turned to face them. "Elizabeta?"

She stopped in front of me to catch her breath. She quickly recovered and rested a hand on her hip. "You're pretty observant," she pulled out a card from her pocket, "Nana Yukibara."

I gasped and she placed it in my hand. It was my ID card. I put it away in my pocket and looked at her. "Thank you very much."

"Nah, it was no biggie." She smiled. It was kind and warm but the rest of her face and hair were a little dirty and her clothes looked a little rugged. She placed her hands in her pocket. "Though, I'm glad that you're doing well. I've never seen anyone take a fall like that on that ice."

"Ah…" I laughed a little. "That tends to happen to me a lot…" _Wait… 'on that ice'..?_ I looked at her. _Sure it could be that she comes by that crossing often but…_ "May I ask you something?"

She tilted her head. "Yes?"

"What are you doing out here?" I scanned the area and then glimpsed back at her. "I mean, it makes sense if your owner lives near here- and yes I know you're a unit- but why do you look like that?"

Her smile faded a little and her eyes softened for a moment. Then she grinned again, putting up some front.

"I ran away."

* * *

><p><strong>Updateddddd, finally! I had no idea on how I should write this chapter because I had too many ideas in my head -v- I wanted to include the birthday and Elizabeta and some suspicion from her new friends… and there was the result :P <strong>

**So how was everyone's Christmas and New Year? I spent a lot of time with my siblings on Xmas and then had a lot of mochi on New Year (^o^)/ **

**I have another week of winter break so there will definitely be at least ONE more update until I have to go back to school! I appreciate everyone's continuing support, both new and old. Also I'm grateful for reaching 200 reviews ^^ (Thank you for the spam—I mean effort Simplicity-Shitsuboku. Your requested one-shot should be up later this week~). **

**I looked back into the story on Xmas day and I found out… I updated this story about 22 times in a year. I don't know if that's a good thing or what XD**

**Anyway, thanks for reading! **

**~Miracle **

**Ps. Bibimbap is really good.**


	47. Chapter 46: Invitation

Invitation

"Ran away?" I repeated her words. I stared at her. _Units can run away..?_ It did make sense, but the owner must have been downright terrible to her to make her want to do that.

"It's fine though!" She made a thumbs-up. "I've managed quite fine on my own."

I couldn't help but to imagine her like a stray animal. She looked so beaten up and tired. I rubbed my neck. "That's great..." I glanced to the side. "This is a bit sudden but… Would you like to stay over at my home?"

She seemed pretty surprised. Her expression changed as she laughed. "That's not necessary—"

"At least for the night?" I cut in. I looked up at her. "I mean, I want to thank you for helping me out that one day and for hanging onto my ID card."

The unit stared blankly at me and then sighed in defeat. "Okay, fair enough." She put her hands to her stomach. "Besides, I don't remember when the last decent meal I've eaten was."

I smiled. "Let's go then." I started down the street as she followed close behind. I buried my face in my scarf again as another gust of cold air blew by. My hair flew back along with it.

"Pretty cold, huh?" Elizabeta stuffed her hands further in her pockets. "Try dealing with it twenty-four-seven."

"You're very strong then." I murmured. I glanced over at her but a different detail behind her caught my attention.

I squinted a little, from the air drying out my eyes, and I saw down the street, waiting for the traffic signal was a particular black car. I haven't seen it for a while but I was sure it was _that_ black car. As the lights changed green, it took a turn left, in the general direction of the street we were walking. I gasped. I pulled my hair over in front of me and shuffled closer to Elizabeta, hoping she hides me enough from their view.

She looked over at me. "Are you that cold?" She put an arm over me.

I flinched upon contact and felt myself blushing. _Not what I was planning… but it's a good cover-up…_ I hid my right eye and peeked out at the street again with my other. The car drove by at fifteen miles per hour. _Good… they didn't notice…_ I sighed in relief and moved out of Elizabeta's space. She didn't budge though and held into me. "Y-you can let me go now," I muttered.

"Are you kidding?" She smiled. "It's much warmer this way, isn't it?"

I blushed. It honestly was but I was not used to this, especially from someone I just met. "I-I guess…"

After fifteen minutes of walking, we finally got to the house. By the sounds of it, I was sure everyone was in the living room. I opened the front door for Elizabeta. "Here we are."

"Thank you." She stepped inside and turned around before going further. "Do I take off my shoes..?"

I nodded. I was a bit happy that she asked because the guys themselves sometimes forget.

"Oh~ I believe our angel brought home a lady friend with her." I heard Francis say from the living room. Several footsteps sounded down the hall.

"'Lady friend'?" Elizabeta looked at me and I just shrugged.

Feliciano appeared and gasped as soon as he saw who it was. "Miss Elizabeta~!" He glomped into her already outstretched arms.

"Feli~!" She hugged him back. "Hello again!"

I set her and my shoes aside. I saw Gilbert peeking in from the hall and he did not look very happy. Once his eyes met mine, he scoffed and quickly shuffled away.

Francis took his place. "Ah, bonjour mademoiselle."

"Hello," Elizabeta smiled, "you're here too?"

"Oui~." He smiled at her. He gestured her in the hall. "Now, now, let's get settled down."

As Feliciano led her into the living room, I walked up to Francis. "She's only staying for the night…"

"Ah," he whispered. "Is she the same 'Elizabeta' Feli and Gil were talking about?"

I nodded. "I thought I'd invite her over as a thank you thing."

He wrapped me in an embrace. "How sweet of you."

I nudged my elbow into his stomach and he let go. "I do what I need to do." I tried to keep myself from blushing any further by putting my cold hands on my cheeks.

After the introduction circle went by, I let her take a shower in my room's bathroom. Meanwhile, I changed, left clean clothes for her to wear, and hurried into the living room. I had Ivan scoot a little and I settled onto the couch.

"So, what did you need to talk about, love?" Arthur sat on a chair opposite from me.

"Urgent enough to have us all meet here." Yong Soo sat crossed-legged on the ground.

I hugged my legs. "_They're_ back."

"They?" Alfred raised an eyebrow. "You don't mean those goons in suits, do you?"

I nodded. "I saw them while I was walking home with Elizabeta. They drove by quickly so I don't think they noticed me."

"Ve… that's scary." Feliciano handed me a mug of hot chocolate.

I took a sip and noticed that it had a different taste. I noticed that it was white chocolate instead of milk or cocoa. I took another sip before I continued. "If they're close then I don't think we're very safe at the moment."

"How in the world did they wander this far, aru?" Yao asked. He was wearing bit of a funny outfit of striped long-sleeves and a t-shirt with sweatpants.

I shrugged. "I'm sure we've been careful enough…" I stared at the steam coming from my drink.

"Maybe they have ninja spies, daze."

"Or guys like FBI agents snooping at every corner!"

_Seriously guys?_ I glanced over at Alfred and Yong Soo. They were hogging a bowl of popcorn. I gestured them to give me some of the snack. "Anyway, I really don't know what to do… I'm even scared to go to school now."

"Dude..." Alfred stood up. "I just thought about this…"

"You can actually think?" Arthur retorted. Ivan and Gilbert snickered at the remark.

The American stuck his tongue at him and went back to his train of thought. "What if your phone or something is bugged?"

I stared at him, first thinking he was way over his head, but then I thought about it- They _did_ take my phone. I bit my lower lip. "You might be right…"

"You should check, da?" Ivan motioned me to go.

"Yeah…" I went to retrieve my phone from my desk. Elizabeth was still in the shower, which was good. I didn't want other people to be involved. I went back to the living room and Yong Soo was already holding up some mini tools. I gave the device to him and sat back on the couch.

Almost surprisingly, Alfred's intuition was right. There was a little piece under the battery. We weren't sure if it was for tracking or listening but either way, it wasn't a good thing to have around.

We decided to send the phone back to the old house without a return address. If we broke it or stopped the device now then we were sure that the goons will know we're in the area.

"This might buy us some time." Arthur duct-taped the box close and wrote the address on the manila folder. He and Yao left to go to the post office and buy stuff for dinner.

I sighed and fell over to my side. "This is stressful."

Francis ruffled my hair. "We'll get you a new phone on your birthday, okay?"

I yawned. "I guess." I have to tell everyone not to use that number til I get my new phone…

"Ah~, thanks so much for letting me use the shower." Elizabeta walked in, all nice and clean. I lent her one of my oversized sweaters and a pair of sweatpants. She looked like her usual self, in the cannon sense, again. She paused though as she stared at Gilbert.

He stared back with some agitated expression. Tension filled the room.

I threw a cushion at the Prussian's face. "You're very welcome." I sat up and held up the near empty bowl of popcorn to the other unit.

She took it and ate some bits of it. "Where are Arthur and Yao?"

"Some food shopping, daze." Yong Soo refilled the bowl with freshly popped popcorn.

"Cool," she said as she sat on the couch next to me. She looked around the living room. "You have a very nice place. The exterior was pleasant too."

Francis gave her a cup of milk tea. "May I ask where you've been before you found our dear Nana?"

"Since you asked so politely," she took a sip of the drink, "I guess I don't mind sharing."

Feliciano squeezed in between me and her "Why were you out in the streets?"

She cupped her hands around the mug. "I didn't like my owner, at all."

Was he or she abusive or something..? "How come?" I asked.

She shrugged. "He wasn't a very good person. He wasted his money on drugs, pushed all his housework and eventually his actual work to me, and barely showed any gratitude."

"So you were fed up and just left…" Francis added.

"That's terrible!" Feliciano hugged her.

"Yep." She sighed and stroked his hair. "Living out on my own has been so much better though."

"I see…" I stared at my feet. _Half the stuff sounds like what I've done…_ Do the guys feel that way about me? All I do now is to go to school, do homework, eat, and sleep…

Elizabeta laughed. "Look at this awkwardly tense atmosphere!" She took a long drink of her tea and set the cup on the table. "I've been just fine. It's been two weeks anyway."

"Oh mon dieu, two weeks? That's even before we moved here." The Frenchie sat down on the chair. "How in the world have you been sustaining yourself?"

"I've still been working and earning enough to get food in my stomach," she laughed, "though it's limited to fast food and that one Eleven-Seven store."

Feliciano giggled. "Silly Miss Elizabeta~, it's 'Seven-Eleven." We all ended up laughing at the mistake.

Eventually Arthur and Yao came back from their errands and dinner was soon made and served. Tonight was Francis' turn and he made each of us mini quiches and beef stew. Elizabeta enjoyed every bit of the meal and complimented Francis several times. He of course gratefully accepted each and every comment.

Afterwards, the guys and Elizabeta joked around and made nation-related jokes that I would never understand, but it was amusing watching them enjoy themselves. Once the _special_ drinks came out, I excused myself to my room and did some bits of homework I realized I had. About an hour later, Elizabeta walked in and got on my bed. Her cheeks weren't as rosy as I expected it to be but she still seemed really happy.

"I was wondering where you were." She hugged one of the pillows and sat facing me.

I scratched my head with the end of my pen. "Yeah, well, when I see the alcohol, I flee to the safety of my room." I shuddered at the memory of the last time I hung around a little too long.

"'Safety', huh…?"

"Mhm." I tapped the pen against my desk as I thought about the answer of a science problem. "I hope you had a nice—" I gasped and jumped from my seat when she suddenly tickled my sides. I moved out of her reach and used my chair as a shield. "Wha-wha-what are you doing?!"

She smirked. She quickly moved the chair out of the way and grabbed my sides. I refrained from laughing but after ten more seconds, I fell into a laughing fit. I didn't even know I could laugh for that long and for that much. It ended with me on my bed, getting out the last of the giggles, with my face in my pillow.

"Don't you feel better?" The Hungarian lay beside me. She had her hands behind her head and grinned at me mischievously.

I wiped tears from my eyes. I did in fact feel better. My heart was stil racing a little. I raised my head. "Why did you do that?!"

"I don't know~." She smiled innocently and closed her eyes. I told her earlier that she could sleep on my bed while I took the couch. I just hoped that the guys cleared out though, if they remembered.

I got up and returned to my desk. My mind and shoulders felt lighter. I was able to finish the homework in ten minutes and by the time I packed all my stuff away, Elizabeta had fallen asleep in the same position she was in earlier. I smiled at the sight and carefully put the blankets over her. The thought of her being homeless bothered me, but I was sure she wanted to protect her pride or something or that sort. It was great having another girl in the house for once. I shook my head. I shouldn't get too clingy.

I gathered the extra blankets and stuff and made my way to the living room. The last of the stuff were being cleaned up so I dumped the things on the empty couch.

"Ve~ is Miss Elizabeta asleep now?" asked Feliciano.

I nodded. "Yep, sleep and sound." I set my alarm clock on the coffee table.

"Ma cherie, was that you laughing earlier?" Francis held up his wine glass at the kitchen counter.

I blushed a little and nodded. I turned out the living room lights and buried myself under the blankets.

He chuckled. "You have a beautiful laugh, no need to feel so ashamed."

"You should laugh more~." The Italian noted. I heard him shuffle into the kitchen and back out. "Good night, Nana~."

"Good night, Feli." I murmured from under the sheets. I heard him go upstairs.

I waited for Francis to leave too but he showed no signs to as I caught the sound of pages turning in a book. I sighed and before I knew it, I ended up falling asleep.

_Bleep bleep. Bleep bleep. Bleep blee—._

I slammed my hand on the clock to shut it off. I rolled onto my back and stretched but I realize that the space wasn't limited and cramped. I felt around and when I finally decided to open my eyes, I realized that I was on my bed in my room. I looked around drowsily. _Where was Elizabeta..?_

On my nightstand, partially crushed next to my clock was a note. I opened it and read it over several times.

_Thank you for having me over. It was great fun. And you shouldn't worry about too many things; you're a fantastic unit owner. See you around, Eliza._

_P.S. Smile and Laugh often. You have a wonderful family with you. _

* * *

><p><strong>Hurray~ I could slip in an update despite being busy :3 I already had this chapter prewritten but I didn't have time to edit it. <strong>_  
><em>

**This one's a simpler chapter and it was fun to write, especially the middle-end bit when Elizabeta tickled Nana.  
><strong>

**I lacked ideas for the phone part so if it doesn't make sense, I'm sorry ;-;  
><strong>

**Anyway, thanks for the read and continuous support!  
><strong>


	48. Chapter 47: The Day Before

The Day Before the Things Occur

I cupped my hands over my ears. The music from my earphones was enriched by the makeshift dome. I nodded my head to "Remote Control" as I leaned back in my chair to read a current event article for extra credit in history.

"_Are you even listening to us, Nana?!"_

I propped my legs up onto my desk and skimmed through the block of text.

"_Nana~, please give us five minutes of your time~!"_

I lip synched to the song. Just as I was going to start writing my review and analysis for the article, my chair got tipped back and I hit the back of my head onto the carpet.

"Oops…" Yong Soo had his hands up in the air as he stepped back. "Too much, daze."

I rolled over and sat up. I rubbed the back of my head and took off the earbuds I borrowed from Alfred. "You think..?" I heard them but I didn't want to break my concentration for something petty.

"Sorry…" Feliciano put my chair upright and helped me up. "But we _really_ need to know what you want for your birthday!"

I sunk back into my seat. My birthday was coming up in two days now and the guys have been irritating the living soul out of me over what I want. With all modesty aside, because we all know they were not going to be satisfied with that, I told each of them different stuff- a new pen, notebook, socks, whatever. The common thing was that they were something _useful_.

I crossed my arms and faced the Korean and Italian. "I'm happy with anything that I can use on a daily or weekly basis."

Yong Soo pouted. "That's not helpful, daze."

Feliciano mirrored the expression. "You can use a lot of different things on a daily basis."

I shrugged. "I feel better about receiving a gift that I can appreciate and use rather than something that just sits in the corner and collects dust."

"You do have a point but we want to know something specific!" Yong Soo flapped his usual oversized sleeves. _Did he stretch that sweater's sleeves out before hand?_

"Why did you two wait at the very last minute to ask anyway?" I crossed my legs. "Everyone else asked earlier in the week." They cast guilty glances at each other and then at the ground. I sighed. "In any case… I guess I could use a new alarm clock because the sound on the other one is broken."

The Korean unit raised his hand. "I call that one!" He hurried out of the room.

Feliciano giggled and started to make his way out of the room too. I tilted my head. _Was he getting me a clock too?_

He turned to me before completely exiting. "I didn't really need to ask," he whispered, as if he read my mind. "Yong Soo just wanted me to tag along." He smiled and gently closed my door.

"Sneaky Feli is sneaky…" I shook my head and returned to the article.

The next morning was very much like the day before.

I ducked behind the math textbook I propped up on my desk as Sydney and the twins came up to me. I went into my math class since it was exceptionally cold outside and it was always warm in here.

Ly peeked over the book. "You know what day's comin' up?" I saw Irene smiling behind her.

I glanced to the side. "I… don't know, what?"

Sydney knocked the thick book down with her finger. "Nothing to be embarrassed about, ja?" She grinned. "A birthday is always something to celebrate about."

I laughed softly. "You're right— How did you know my birthday was coming up?" I stared at the three of them.

Irene held up her notebook. _"The nurse mentioned it while I was in the infirmary." _

I tilted my head. "Why were you there? Are you feeling alright?" _Still sick, huh? It must suck not being able to talk for so long…_

She turned the page. _"I'm okay. I just got hit in the head by a basketball."_

_Ouch._ "Well, I'm glad you're fine." She smiled in response.

"Anyway!" Ly sat in the seat in front of me. "What are ya gonna do for your birthday? You're gonna be sixteen, right?"

I nodded. I haven't really thought about it but who knows what the guys had planned back at home. I rested my chin on my hand. "Probably have a small party at home."

"With your family?" Sydney asked. She sat down beside Ly.

"Uh…" I leaned back in my chair. "Yes, with my fam—"

"Can we come celebrate with you?" Ly suddenly blurted out. Sydney and Irene covered her mouth soon after.

I put my hand on the back wall behind me to keep myself from falling over. _Th-them coming to my house..?_ I noticed that Ly was wearing her beloved Hetalia t-shirt today. I swallowed. _More chaos was to ensue…_ I leaned forward. "I-I don't know about that, sorry."

Sydney suddenly made a face of disgust and wiped the hand that was covering Ly's mouth on her sleeve. "Strict parents?"

I stared at the random pencil markings on the desk. "Yep, strict parents. I mean we did just move so they're still unsure about the area and all, you know?"

"But it's your sixteenth birthday!" Ly slammed on the desk. "You know us well enough, right?"

I looked up at her. _Why was she being so persistent..?_ I froze. _Does she already know that I was practically hoarding anime characters at my house?_

Sydney patted Ly's head. "Calm down now. You can't just invite yourself to an occasion."

The bell for first period rang.

Irene beckoned Ly to hurry since their class was at the other side of the campus. The twins quickly left while Sydney waited for me to pack my things. I shouldered my bag and headed out.

The German girl caught up with me. "I apologize for Ly's behavior."

"Don't worry about it…" I zipped up my jacket. "But why does she want to come over so badly?"

"The twins turned sixteen last month. Despite the little money they had, they had the time of their lives." Sydney shoved her hands in her coat pockets. "But the next day they found out that a kid in their class also had a 'Sweet Sixteen' but nothing really went right for them."

I caught a glimpse of the twins hurrying across the hall. "So… they want to make sure that I have a good one too..?"

She nodded. "Ja, but if your parents are really against visitors then we understand." She grinned. "Make sure you have fun."

I smiled back. "Okay, I will."

The one minute warning bell rang. I hastened my pace but Sydney grabbed my arm. I looked back at her.

She seemed hesitant about something but recovered herself. "Could we at least drop off some gifts? It _is_ Saturday tomorrow."

_A quick drop off should be fine, right..?_ I nodded. "I'll tell you my address later at lunch." She seemed relieved and we both parted ways.

I decided to hurry home after school to celebrate the fact that it was Friday and I finished my homework in class, by napping.

"_Nana!"_

I peered across the street to find Alfred waving at me. He was sitting on the bench for a bus stop that was there. I quickly, and carefully, crossed the street and noticed that Elizabeta was with him.

"Hello!" The Hungarian smiled cheerfully at me. "Thank you again for the other day."

I smiled back. "No problem." I turned my attention back to Alfred. One of the lenses of his glasses was broken and his forehead was bruised. I took the spectacles and examined it. "How in the world did his happen?"

The American chuckled and pointed at a nearby light post. "I slipped on ice and slammed my face against it…"

Elizabeta nodded. "I saw everything."

"Looks like you'll need to get new glasses later…" I placed it back on his face. It wasn't on correctly but he fixed it himself.

"I can't replace my Texas!" He cried out.

"You named your glasses?" Elizabeta stared at him in half-disbelief.

I shook my head. "You can cry about it later. We should get home. I'm wiped out from this week."

"Okay, princess." He smirked and got up. "Thanks for the quick treatment, Eliza!"

"You're very welcome." She smiled.

I waved at her as we made our way down the street. _I wish she could stay with us…_ I avoided a frozen puddle and made sure the American did too. I glanced up at him. "What were you doing out anyway? I thought you didn't have work today."

He grinned. "I went to go buy your present." He stretched up into the air. "I can't believe you're turning sixteen already. It's only been like six months since I knew you but it still felt like forever."

_Six months already? It feels short and long at the same time…_ "Yeah…"

He laughed. "To be honest, I thought you were going to be seventeen or eighteen instead."

I stuck my tongue out. "Is it the height?"

"Probably." He shrugged. "But don't worry about it." He took my bag and turned to face me while walking backwards. "That means you got more time to live out loud and have fun, you know?"

His eyes had a spirited gleam in them. I let out a little laugh. "Yeah, that's true." I reached for my bag.

He smiled widely in response. "So, about your cake! What flavor did you like again? I want to make su—"

He lost his footing and while I had my grasp on my bag, I fell over with him. I tapped my foot on the ground. _Yep, another ice puddle…_

He locked me in a tight embrace. "I freaking hate ice puddles now!" He cried in agitation.

"Y-you're crushing me!" I shouted in his chest. He only held on tighter. His body was warm though. I could smell a hint of coffee from when he spilled it on his shirt. _What was I saying?!_ I struggled to show that he was cutting off my oxygen supply. He got up and easily lifted me back on my feet.

I crossed my arms close to me and marched off ahead of him. "Let's just go. And be careful."

"Yes ma'am~." He followed close behind.

I sighed. _My birthday is tomorrow… What in the world do the guys have planned? I hope Sydney and the twins don't see what I've been hiding from them… _ I shuddered at the thought. I had enough things to worry about. Though, one was finally put to relief. I hope. I glimpsed at the road for any black cars. _I hope they're busy tracking down the phone…_

I should fulfill Ly's wish of having a good birthday. I shouldn't stress over things. It's my day tomorrow. All eyes on me. _All eyes on me…_ I hung my head. I didn't like the attention to start with.

I turned around to face the American. "What were you saying about the ca—Alfred!"

He waved at me from the McDonalds window. I facepalmed.

"I'm going home…"

* * *

><p><strong>Short chapter is short… but longer than the Prologue! <strong>

**I had to update with something and here it is! (Spoiler alert but this will be the pre-climax chapter for this arc. I couldn't hold off anymore OTL) I apologize that it was simple but that's the result of two spare hours I had for a night. **

**It feels really weird to say her birthday is coming up. The story is still in January. It was somewhat supposed to correspond with my birthday (which was Jan 31****st****) but stuff happened… Oh welp! **

**I hope you guys enjoyed the small update, to some degree. More exciting stuff should happen in the next few chapters :D I don't know when the next update will be but I hope it's not going to be two months again. No promises though. **

**Thank you so much for your patience! And thank you for the continuous support! Love you all~**

**Ps. Keep up to date with me on my Tumblr. That's way more accessible than me having to sit and write so… if you're free then come check out my blog? (kisekinochoucho) You can leave suggestions (and plot holes…) for me to consider~. **

**YES SHAMELESS SELF-ADVERTISEMENT**

**(I don't even know what to categorize it as. Mostly Hetalia reblogs but then colorful assortments of other stuff. . .) **


	49. Chapter 48: Two-Faced Day Pt 1

Two-Faced Day Pt 1

It was one of those mornings where you get up and feel perfectly fine. Not drowsy, not icky; just perfect. It felt nice to be away from the usual dreadful mornings where I take forever just to get out of bed.

I pulled the curtains back to reveal a nice sunny 8:30 morning. I washed up in the bathroom and approached the closet. I felt like being a little dressy just because it was my birthday, but not too much to make a commotion. I put on my dark jeans and a white long-sleeve top, with a dark teal no-sleeved hoodie over it; and tied a black jacket around my waist. I grabbed my brown boots and decided to go leave it by the front door.

I opened my door. Instead of finding the vast hallway, I found a giant plank of wood blocking my way. _…Who put the bookcase in front of my door?_ I set the boots down and tried pushing the thing. It wouldn't budge. I banged on the shelf. "Hey! Let me out!" Silence.

The doorbell rang. I wondered who would care to visit early in the morning, but something registered in my mind- Sydney and the twins. I gasped and hammered the bookshelf again. I heard footsteps go toward the front. "Do not answer the door! It's for your own good!"

"_Okay, comrade."_

I sighed in relief. "Can you move the shelf while you're there?"

"_I can't do that, comrade."_

I hit my head against it. _Great…_ I hurried to my window and opened it completely, knocking out the screen in the process. I put on my boots and jumped out. Luckily, my window faced the front of the house on the first floor so I could get out just fine. I went to the front and found Sydney waiting by the door.

She spun around on her heels once I got closer. She raised a brow. "Where did you come from?"

I laughed. "My family's crazy and wouldn't let me out to answer the door."

"Then why didn't _they_ just answer the door?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. Probably _that_ busy or something."

She had a suspicious look but she swept it aside with a smile. "Well anyway," she held up two gift bags, "Happy Birthday."

I took the pastel-colored bags and matched the smile. "Thank you so much. The twins couldn't make it?"

"Ja, it's a shame too since Ly wanted to come so badly." Sydney crossed her arms. "That silly girl got herself sick from eating a strange combination of things for dessert."

_I wonder what it was…_ "Well, can you tell them 'Thank you' for me? I'll text them later too." _When I get my new phone…_

She nodded. "I was going to go back to them anyway." She made her way towards the gate. "I hope you enjoy your day. Cherish every moment of it, you hear?"

I smiled. "Yes ma'am." I watched her off until she turned a corner. I quickly returned to my room's window. I climbed back inside and set the bags on my desk. I had this tradition where I opened all the presents at once. I found it more fun that way. I walked over to the bookcase and pressed my ear against it. I heard clatters of plates and shouting and bickering and laughing; the usual commotion times five. It was only nine in the morning yet they were that busy. _Sheesh…_

I didn't feel like lingering in my room for long so I decided to go take a walk to school and back. _Just twenty minutes, they won't miss me, right?_ I climbed back out and closed my window in case someone tried to sneak in.

It was a little chilly but the sun's presence was comforting. I put my hands in my hoodie pocket and strolled down the street. _Birthday already, huh..?_ I kicked at a rock. I've only known the guys for eight months. It's only been several weeks since we moved over here. It's been forever since I last worked. It's been eight months since my mother's death.

I sighed. She would always try making a cake but something would go wrong. She wasn't the best baker so she relied on April's bakery to whip up some special cake for me. Then my mother would take me out somewhere, wherever her budget could take her at that time. Last year she took me to see a movie and then we had a nice lunch at a Thai place. Dinner was always on Ciro. He was seriously like an uncle to me. Melancholy and nostalgia meshed inside my head. I missed them so much. It's all different now.

"Hey~!" A hand smacked against my back. Once I was out of my trance, I was immediately greeted by a hug. Elizabeta let go and greeted me with a huge grin on her face. "Happy Birthday!"

I laughed awkwardly since I was caught off-guard. "Thank you, Elizabeta."

"I didn't think I was going to run into so early. I was going to visit you later this afternoon." She took my hand and started walking in a certain direction. "Come! I want to give you your present."

I wasn't quite sure on how to react so I decided to just go with it. She led me into an alleyway that I never knew existed. A little while, past some foliage, I found a tent and a pile of charred sticks by an abandoned building. She finally let go of my hand and crawled into her makeshift tent. _She lives in a place like this..?_

She came back out with a small box and placed it in my hand. Her silent excitement beckoned me to open the little case. I did just that and found a little doll keychain. Judging by the material, it looked handmade. The doll reminded me of a matryoshka but it looked like me. I giggled. "It's so cute, thank you."

She clasped her hands together. "I'm so glad you like it!"

I asked her how she made it, and before I knew it, forty-five minutes had flown by. She stuck her cigarette against the concrete ground and tossed it in a trash bag. I was surprised that she smoked. Apparently her old owner was a smoker and it just caught on to her. The wind was going away from me so it didn't bother me that much. I got up and dusted off my pants. I thanked her again for the gift and told her to stop by later at night for dinner.

I ran back home in fear of what the guys would do if they found me gone. I didn't have a phone to tell them anything so I knew they would flip. I scampered back home and just as I had dreaded, I heard frantic shouting.

"_Oh mon dieu, where did she go?!"_

"_There is no way she could have slipped past that shelf, daze!"_

"_Way to go, commie!"_

"_It was your idea to block her door, da?"_

When I got to the window, I propped my arms up on the sill. I rested my chin on my arms and decided to watch them panic for a little more. When I thought it was long enough, I tapped on the glass to get their attention. A huge look of relief swept through their faces. Yong Soo opened the glass and I removed the screen. I got myself up but Alfred pulled me in completely and held me bride-style. I just stared at him. "Uhh… thanks. Can you put me down?"

He smirked. "No way man! It's time to get your birthday started!" He bolted out of my room with me still in his arms. He set me down at the dining room and before me was a hearty plate of pancakes all stacked up and frosted with whipped cream. Written sloppily with syrup on top was 'Happy Birthday'.

I laughed and waited for the rest to take their seats. "You've got to be kidding me. A pancake-cake?" _And whose idea would this be?_

"Do you like it? Do you like it? Feliciano piped from his seat across from me. The look in his eye and his eager excitement told me that it was his idea. I wasn't surprised.

"Si." I smiled at him. I picked up the knife and hacked away at it to share with the guys.

After breakfast, Ivan told me that they had planned to take me ice skating. I've never done it before in my life so I was pretty excited. We commuted to the indoor ice skating rink by bus and were relieved that not many people were there. I mean it would have been fine if it was packed so that I didn't have to make a fool of myself alone from potentially falling over so many times, but the open space was nice too.

I had Ivan do my skates' laces since he said that they had to be tied a certain way. Him being a man of winter, I trusted his words. I glanced over at the rink and saw that Alfred, Gilbert, and Arthur were already on the ice. They glided across as if it was nothing. I started to get nervous because I couldn't even imagine myself being able to stand on the ice.

"It will be all right, comrade." Ivan tugged at the laced for the last time. He pulled out a pair of gloves from his coat pocket and placed them in my hands. He smiled at me. "We can help you through, da?"

His large hands were really warm compared to mine. I glimpsed at the rink again and back at him. "Well, if you say so."

"_So_." He grinned. He helped me get on the rink.

I clung onto the edges. _Come on, Nana… You can do this…_ I carefully slid forward with my right foot. I moved about half a foot forward. _Okay, I got my balance…_ I moved with my left foot. Then right. Then left again.

"You're doing very well, padrooga!" Ivan called from behind me.

_I think I actually got the hang of this…_I carefully turned around while holding onto the wall. I smiled to myself in triumph. I went about seven yards without falling. Feliciano waved at me from the other end and I waved back. I saw that Yao was sitting in the sidelines drinking tea from a thermos he brought. Francis, Yong Soo, and Gilbert were up to something but I really didn't want to know what at the moment. I decided to go back to my starting point. When I was halfway there, I heard a warning yell but I couldn't move away in time. Someone slid right into me, held onto my waist, and his weight forced me to fall over with him.

The guy chuckled nervously and slowly sat up. "I'm terribly sorry. It's my first time here and I wanted to practice before my date got here." He seemed to be in his twenties and by the sound of his voice, it wasn't the first time he crashed into someone.

I shook my head. "It's okay, it's my first time skating too." I struggled to get back up but the man helped me out.

"That's great." He grinned. "Well I have a bit under an hour more to practice. Sorry again for tackling you." He hurriedly skated away. I watched him and expected him to be a klutz again but when he didn't, I decided to continue making my way back to my starting point.

Arthur greeted me when I got there. "Are you okay, love? I saw that twit crash right into you."

"Yeah, I'm fine. It was his first time here too so I forgave him." I skated in a small circle around the Frenchman. Now I got the small turns down.

He had a concerned look on his face as he looked out at the rink but when he noticed me staring, he flustered a little then cleared his throat. "Well, I am glad you are getting comfortable with the ice."

"You learn very quickly, aru." Yao stood by the wall near me.

I turned to face him. "How come you aren't skating?"

"I am not that well at it so I decided not to." He stuffed his arms in his sleeves, either because he was getting cold or because he felt a little frustration.

"I'm sure you can't be _that_ bad." I sat up on the wall since it looked solid enough.

Yong Soo snickered as he decided to butt in. "He fell right on his back after taking his first step. He said 'never again… never again…' while Kiku treated his back."

"Oh…" I imagine that to be extremely painful and traumatic.

"Zhu zui [Shut up]!" Yao scowled and stormed off to where he was sitting earlier.

I glanced over at Yong Soo. "Look what you caused."

He just grinned mischievously. He then took my hand after I got off the wall. He started skating really quickly. I could not keep up so I clung onto his arm while I was glided around. He then suddenly swung his arm out, causing me to let go. Unable to control myself at the speed, I fell into Francis' grasps. He then did the same thing as the Korean had and I was passed to Gilbert. At the point, I was completely terrified and didn't care who I hung onto. I tightly wrapped my arms around him.

"Y-you guys are e-evil!" I felt myself shaking. "What was that for?!"

"Hey hey, calm down! It was just a joke." He wanted me to let go but I wouldn't budge. He scoffed and patted my back. "People are staring, you know?" He whispered in my ear.

"I don't care!" I muttered in his shoulder. On any other occasions I would, but right now, I did not care at all. I needed to be on some ground with actual friction. "Take me to where Yao is."

He sighed. "Fine."

I was grateful to be able to step on a ground without having to slide around. I sat right next to Yao heaved a huge sigh of relief. He handed me a cup of tea. I gratefully took it and let it warm my hands for a bit. "That wasn't fun…"

He frowned. "I was watching. That was very rude of them, aru, especially since it was your first day."

I nodded slowly and stared into the steaming tea.

I heard him unzipped his bag and he put a knit hat on my head. He smiled in satisfaction. "Happy Birthday, aru."

I slowly raised my hand and felt that there were cat eats on it. I have to admit, they were cute but for me to wear them… I laughed softly. "Xie xie [thank you]."

He nodded and refilled my Styrofoam cup of oolong tea. Feliciano and Alfred came over to make a fuss over my hat. I blushed when they mentioned how it looked 'cute' on me and so on. I tugged the hat down over my eyes and took a sip out of the tea. It may have been fifty-some degrees in the rink but I was feeling something more in the seventies.

* * *

><p><strong>Aaaaand that's part one, ladies and gent(s) (are there any guys reading besides SubZeroIceDragon? There's no shame here, I promise). <strong>

**[Edit:] I think I should rephrase my question- Are there any BOYS reading this fic besides ^ that guy?**

**Yay birthday~ I've been waiting to write this chapter for MONTHS (…I bet you guys were waiting forever for me to update too). I'm more excited for the second part, which you might absolutely hate me for. Buuuut I have to keep 'drama' a part of this fanfic. No more spoilers, I will hush about that now ;) **

**I have 4 weeks left of school and the bulk of my classes are shimmering down with projects. Luckily, like now, I am finding time to update (yaaaay). I am very excited because I will finally be able to work on developing another story… ORIGINAL story. **

**I will shut up now and let you continue on your merry way. Thank you as always for the continuous support. Less than three. Warm and fuzzy feeling for days~. **


	50. Chapter 49: Two-Faced Day Pt 2

Two-Faced Day Pt 2

"Well, that was great." I wiped my mouth with a napkin and set it by my plate. After skating, we decided to go to a small nearby cafe. The workers' expressions were pretty amusing since I don't think they usually had this many people dine at once. They mainly served soups and sandwiches but the things on the menu were delicious, like better than Subway or something; not that that was a delicacy or anything.

"Would you like to try any of our desserts?" the preppy waitress asked us.

Feliciano raised his hand. "Vanilla ice cream, please~!"

"Make that two!" Alfred called out from another table. There wasn't a table big enough to hold all nine of us so we had to split up. Yao just stared at the two distastefully.

It was too cold for ice cream for me. "Could I have the yogurt parfait?" I pointed to the order on the menu. She jotted it down and returned to the kitchen after cycling through everyone.

Francis casually placed his arm on the back of my chair. I scooted away and pointed my fork at him. "I'm still mad at you guys."

"How many times do we have to apologize, daze?" Yong Soo leaned back in his chair and glanced at me apologetically. On our way here, I had given them the silent treatment but after the meal, I'd forgotten about that. I just stuck my tongue at him. I wasn't entirely mad at them because it honestly was a bit fun, but it still wasn't nice of them to make me go through that without warning.

We had our desserts and thanked the café workers for their warm hospitality. The bus was not to come until half an hour so we decided to go check out the street fair that was around the corner. I let the guys go off on their own but in a buddy system in case one got lost or something. After pulling straws, I ended up with Arthur.

"How often does Britain have street fairs?" I looked at the random stands that were selling wooden sculptures and figurines. I felt like there was one on a monthly basis around here, maybe even more.

"I'm not quite sure. The neighborhoods hold their own every now and then." He breathed into his hands.

"I see." I rubbed my arms. It was getting colder and my jacket wasn't exactly helpful. I caught a glimpse of a stand with hot chocolate.

The Brit promptly stopped by a bench. "Stay here, love. I will be right back." He disappeared into the crowd. I guessed he went to get hot chocolate, or at least that was what I hoped.

Unsure of what to do, I decided to take the time to observe the bustling scene. Everyone was fascinated by something, whether if it was some caricature art or an advertisement for Geico. Several terriers trotted by. I smiled to myself when I saw one wearing a sweater. The things owners did to their pets.

I next saw a group of friends go by, laughing over some silly joke one had made; all their cheeks rosy and some arm in arm. From the sight of that, I wondered how everyone was doing back at the old home. I had received some Christmas and New Years cards and gifts but that was the last I really heard from them. It was mid-term finals season so I imagined that they were just busy. I did miss them though. _Why did I decide to leave after forming those close bonds?_ Regrets. I couldn't even contact them now because I didn't have my phone with me.

"Here you go." Arthur handed me a nice, steaming cup of hot chocolate. I gratefully took it and it instantly warmed my hands. He sat down and took a sip from his. He frowned a bit. "Why does America make things too sweet?"

I just shrugged. "We like flavor? I don't know." I sipped my warm drink. American or not, this hot chocolate was delicious. "Thank you." He nodded in response.

"Mademoiselle~!" Francis and Alfred came up to me and they each took my arms. "Come with us!"

"Be careful with the drink!" Arthur called out after us. Sadly, I've already had to sacrifice it into the trashcan at that point.

The Frenchman and American led me to a random photo booth that was at one of the stands. Surprisingly, it was free so the two took up the opportunity and forced me into it with them. The timer was way too fast so I just smiled awkwardly in most of the pictures.

"Dude! You blinked in this one." Alfred handed me one of the photo strips. We made our way back to where we left Arthur, only to find a growing crowd of colorful cosplayers flock around him. There were squeals, the fangirl kind of squeals.

"_That is an amazing cosplay!"_

"_Can I take a picture with you?"_

"_Hey, I asked first!"_

"_How come you aren't at the Hetalia meet at the park?"_

I swallowed. _Did she say 'Hetalia meet'?_ I froze when someone in a Poland cosplay looked over at us.

She gasped. "Like, look guys! More fabulous cosplayers!" At that, half of the flock made their way toward Alfred and Francis.

The two were ready to accept them with open arms but I had different plans in mind. I grabbed the guys and dragged them into a crowd near some food stands. I did not want them to bring more attention.

"_There's Ivan, Belarus! You should go after him!" _

"_Is that Feli over there?" _

"_Even the Awesome Prussia is here!" _

I hung my head. _Why?!_ I turned to Alfred. "Can I use your phone real quick?" He handed it to me. I dialed Yong Soo.

"_Yeoboseyo [Hello]?"_

"Yong Soo! Have you been mauled by cosplayers yet?"

"'_Mauled by cosplayers'? What are you talking about, daze?" _

"There's apparently a Hetalia meet and everyone else is being tracked down by fangirls… And the bus is coming in like five minutes!"

"_Aiyah! What is going on, aru?"_

"Try to avoid them the best you can… Get to the bus stop as soon as possible!" I hung up the call and sent a mass text to the rest.

Alfred, Francis, and I snaked through the stands while avoiding any fangirls. The two units had to even pay one girl with a picture to help distract anyone else that came our way. We eventually made it to the bus stop in one piece.

I did a quick head count. _Alfred, Feliciano, Yong Soo, Yao, Francis, Ivan, Arthur…_ I looked around. "…Where is Gilbert?" From the corner of my eyes, I saw the bus coming. A surge of panic went through me.

"What the crap, you unawesome traitors!" The Prussian was running toward us from across the street. Few straggling fans followed after him. The bus came. We bolted in and pleaded the driver to immediately close the doors. He was kind enough to comply. All nine of us sighed in relief. We unfortunately got on a full bus though so most of us had to stand.

"Are you enjoying your day so far, comrade?" Ivan asked me a little later. He was standing behind me.

I turned to face him. "Yeah, it's been pretty fun." _Besides that last incident…_ I wondered if that Belarus cosplayer ever got to him.

He giggled. "I'm glad for you."

I smiled back. They did so much for me. I knew that I could never repay them. Not to mention, Ivan did help me get on ice skates. "Thank yo—" The bus jerked to a stop and I lost my grip on the pole. I fell over and landed on someone's lap.

"Hey, don't get too comfy."

I blushed when I saw that it was Gilbert. I immediately got back up but someone had taken my place by Ivan because their stop was coming up. All I could do was to stand by the Prussian. I thought about how much I was clinging onto him back at the skating rink. I was even more embarrassed to look at him now.

It was about eight when we finally got back home. The guys told me that they had final preparations to take care of and sent me upstairs. I sat in a bean bag chair they had in the loft. I've never really been up here since I usually just confined myself in my room. It was like a second living room or something.

I leaned back and stared out the window. It got cloudy so the moons and stars weren't there to greet me. A chill breezed into the area. I got up and closed the slightly opened window. _Why would the guys leave the window open in the middle of winter?_

I sat back down and picked up one of the magazines that were lying around. Then I threw it aside. I glanced at another one but I also tossed that one aside. I groaned and tossed my head back. _Men. . ._ I heard someone coming up the stairs so I pretended to preoccupy myself with the keychain Elizabeta gave me.

"Aww~ who gave that to you?" Feliciano walked up to me. He had a large handkerchief in his hand.

I put the doll in my pocket. "I ran into Elizabeta in the morning." I smiled. "It was her birthday present for me." I then glanced up at him. "Is that supposed to be a blindfold?"

He put his hand behind his back and giggled. "No~."

I laughed as well. "You guys are so cheesy."

"What kind of cheese?" He grinned. He sat down next to me. "They told me to keep you company."

"Well, I appreciate that." I sank deeper into the bean bag chair.

He placed his head against the side of my leg. "Nana?"

My leg slightly flinched at the contact. I shifted my head to get a better look at him. "Yes?"

He looked up at me with his bright, auburn eyes. "Do you remember when we first met?"

I sat up a little. "…Why all of the sudden?" I mean I do remember. There was no way I could ever forget.

He laughed gently and rested his chin on my knee. "I don't know. I was just thinking about it today."

_He was..?_ Our eyes met and we held our gaze for a bit. How could I forget about the time he caused me to fall off the chair or the time he made me pasta for the first time? He was a great companion; more a silly brother than a guardian that I had first assigned him to be. I did feel the most comfortable around him but—

"So what is going up here?"

I shot my head up and found Arthur standing by the stairs. I madly blushed and swung my legs away from Feliciano. "N-nothing!"

"Sure, love." He smiled cunningly. "We are ready for you." He looked at the other unit. "Will you do us the honor, Feliciano?"

The Italian got right up. "Si~!"

"We will be waiting then." The Brit made his way back downstairs.

Feliciano tied the blindfold over my eyes. He did it well because I could not see anything at all; not even the slightest light. "Ready?" he asked.

A pit of excitement was budding inside of me. "Yes."

He took my hand and carefully led me down the first set of stairs. Halfway he said he forgot something in his room and quickly went to retrieve it. I felt around for the railings of the next set of stairs. He came back down to where I was, but I also heard two other footsteps behind me. Feliciano shrieked. There were sounds of struggle. _What's going on..?_ I felt a cool breeze. _Were the others messing with him? Or were they trying to scare me? _

Feliciano's cries were muffled. Something wasn't right. I pulled at the blindfold until I got the knot loosened enough to lift it over my eyes. The lights were turned out so it was too dark to really make out anything. Instincts told me to back away, and I did in time to dodge a swinging fist. I vaguely saw Feliciano get hit right across the face. He shoved back out of fear. The figure wheeled into me. My heart sank as I found no footing behind me. It felt like I was in mid-air for a split second. The figure stopped herself from falling. She had black, bob cut hair. Her angry eyes met mine.

_. ..Natsumi? _

Her expression then turned into one of dreadful realization.

I tumbled down the stairs.

I fell into a pit of darkness.

…

Heart monitor beeps.

Hushed voices.

Numb feeling in my head.

I couldn't move.

I gradually opened my eyes. I felt terribly weak. I ached everywhere. _What had just happened..?_

My vision slowly adjusted to the light. Everything was still fuzzy. I somewhat made out five guys sitting in the room.

_"Man, I thought she was a goner!"_

_"Don't be so rude, my Prussian comrade."_

_"My citizens are made to be durable!"_

_"Aiyah, lower your voices..."_

_"My precious flower..."_

I stared out in a daze. It almost felt like a dream. I don't even know. It might have been from my blurry vision.

A prestigious sounding doctor walked in. "How are you doing, Ms. Yukibara?"

I blinked at him. I opened my mouth. I was just at a total loss.

"Where's my mother?"

* * *

><p><strong>I am ready for revolting actions in the reviews… I'M ARMED!<strong>

**Just kidding. **

**I have been waiting so long to put this plan into action. Now that it's done, I feel better BUT not completely because this is only phase one. You will be raging in the next chapter. **

**Don't really know what else to say except that I'm happy for the quick update. I was too excited about this and had to grasp the open opportunity. I'm done with testing (except for finals) and my classes are now simply being annoying with projects. **

**Summer break is just around the corner. Is it just me or does anyone else get sad toward the end of the school year? I might just be too attached to it. I feel empty without it. *nerdalert* **

**Anyway, as always, I love you guys and thanks for reading! ( ^w^)/**


	51. Chapter 50: Lost

Lost

Tension had filled the room after I had asked the question. No one answered me. I started to get nervous. _Is she okay..?_ I looked at the doctor for some consolidation.

He cleared his throat. "I… do not know where your mother is but your grandmother is here."

_Grandmother..?_ My parents never really talked about them. I noticed the five other people in the room with me. This had to be a dream. You don't just see people looking exactly like anime characters out of the blue. I pinched my arm several times. I was in reality.

'France' came up to me. "Ma cherie… do you know who we are?"

I stared at him, completely confused. "…Hetalia cosplayers?"

"Hey hey hey, you can't be serious…" 'Prussia' stood up from his seat. 'Russia' grabbed his arm to hold him still.

"I-I'm sorry." I swallowed. _Were they customers from Frosty's or the bakery?_

The doctor cleared his throat. "Gentlemen, please follow me out." He beckoned everyone to go out to the hall with him. They reluctantly exited.

After a brief moment, I heard various shouting from the other side of the door. I wasn't sure what was going on. I didn't even know why I was in the hospital. My head hurt like crazy though.

Suddenly, an elderly lady walked in. She had on elegant clothing that you wouldn't usually see people wear out on the streets. She slowly came up to me. "Do you remember me, hun?"

I couldn't shake my head 'no'. "No, ma'am, I don't." She was Asian, I could tell that much.

Her eyes soften. "Poor child… you don't remember your own grandmother?"

I've never seen pictures of her. Mother never really bothered to and I never asked. "…What?"

"Hey, lady! Don't talk to her!" 'Alfred' stormed in but 'Russia' held him back. The tall one smiled at me apologetically and dragged him back out.

I stared blankly at the door. An important thought came to mind. I turned to the old woman. "W-where's my mother? What time is it? I need to get home."

She put a hand on mine and squeezed it. I gradually looked up into her eyes. She had a solemn expression on her face. "I'm really sorry to have to tell you this, sweetie… but you and your mother got into a car accident. You injured your head but your mother… I'm very sorry."

My eyes widened. "W-what?"

"She… she didn't make it."

I heard the heart monitor speed up in tempo. It was no doubt mine. I stared at her in utter disbelief. "You can't be serious…"

"It's true…" She stroked my bandaged head. "They called for me because I was the closest relative."

I winced. It couldn't be. _Why were we in the car to start with when mother was too sick to get up? Maybe someone was taking her to the hospital for us... Why can't I remember anything_? The waterworks came. My grandmother stood by for comfort. _Why..?_

Later on, they told me I've been out for a while, for 'several weeks'. I wouldn't have known that so I just believed them. All the funeral business was done in the meantime. I was discharged from the hospital two days after I woke up. I had a severe concussion and they told me I was lucky I didn't break my neck. My grandmother's butler drove me to my mother's grave. Why I was at a hospital miles away from was far from my extent of knowledge. I just guessed that I needed special medical help or something. Next, I was told to live with my newfound relative for now on. I didn't have a choice since I only knew of my mother. This grandmother was from my father's side. I didn't know he came from such a rich background.

My grandmother lived a very frugal life. I was given a large room that overlooked the garden. It was a huge leap. Before, I was barely able to keep up with the bills but now, I didn't even need to worry about working. I just hoped that this rich lifestyle wouldn't ruin me. But I couldn't get myself to enjoy anything; not with a heavy heart and something at the back of my mind continuously bugging me. I was to be homeschooled as well.

After greeting all of the mansion's staff, I wandered into the grand garden. I would have just kept refuge in my new room but the personal maid assigned to me was too happy-preppy for me to handle. I walked along the rosebushes. The blooms were white rather than red. It suited our last name- Yukibara. I went to sit at the parlor and some servant served me tea. I thanked and dismissed them. I just wanted to be alone.

Only a short moment of peace had gone by before I heard footsteps approach me from the rock garden. A guy of around seventeen or eighteen approached me with a goofy but timid smile. He had straw blond hair and olive eyes and wore a sun hat despite it being cloudy and in the middle of winter. He presented a neatly trimmed white rose to me. "Howdy, ma'am."

I reluctantly took the flower. "Hello." I carefully placed the flower on my lap. The thorns were removed in the places where it would be best to hold. _How considerate…_

He put his hands behind his back as if he was embarrassed about something. "I'm Oliver. I'm the gardener, and… I, uh, was sleeping when the introductions were going on so I figured I should properly come to you myself." He ducked under his hat.

It was hard to take him seriously with his southern accent and nervous tone in his voice. I forced a smile. "Thank you for that…" I set the rose next to the tea cup. "I… want to be left alone at the moment so if you don't mind…"

"Don't mind wha—Oh!" He tipped his hat at me and walked backward. "I'm sorry, ma'am. I'll just go back to—" He knocked over a flower pot. He quickly turned around and caught another one that was about to fall. He smiled at me but then he hit his head on a hanging pot.

I couldn't help but to laugh at that. He was a nervous wreck. He fixed everything in place and quickly ran off to a shed. I scoffed and sipped my tea. _Weird guy…_ I picked up the rose. If he was the gardener like he said he was then I applaud at his skills. The plants were tended so nicely.

"_Psst." _

I looked up from my tea. The hiss came from the side of the mansion. I crept along the path that led out of the garden. I went up to the archway. From the shadows, I saw the America cosplayer from before. I stopped. _Why was he here..?_

He grinned. "I knew you'd come!" He walked into the light. It barely looked like a cosplay at all. It was just natural for him, as if he actually was Alfred F. Jones himself. "Nana, look, you can't stay here."

_How does he know my name?_ I stepped back. "Why..? Who are you?"

His smile slightly faded. "It's me, Alfred! You know, the burger-loving loud one that was your hero after that one night?"

I grimaced. "I don't recall ever meeting you before…"

"_Miss?"_ My personal maid, Shirley, trotted to my direction. She noticed the stranger and stood close by me. Her expression shifted from preppy to rigid. "All visitors are to enter from the front."

The guy stood his ground but I heard faint shouting coming from his pocket. He put his hand on the back of his head and laughed. "Sorry dude. I uh… sort of somehow wandered in here." He put his hands in his jacket pocket and smiled. "My bad, I'll leave now. Nice garden though!" He walked off in a hurried manner.

Shirley muttered something under her breath. When she noticed me staring at her, she returned to her uplifting self. "Miss, your grandmother wanted to talk with you about something."

"Oh, um, okay." I followed her out of the garden. I glanced behind me to see if the guy was still there. He was gone. _Who was he..? It surely could not have been Alfred F Jones. What is this, fiction? _

...

* * *

><p>...<p>

'_Emergency shutdown disengaged. Proceeding to normal functions.' _

"_Alright, he should be done with the recalibration now." _

"_Thank you."_

My head stopped being in scrambles. I could think straight again. I opened my eyes but squinted from the bright operation lights. I slowly looked around. It sure was a strange looking hospital. I saw Arthur sitting by me, talking about things with a man in a white lab coat.

Arthur noticed that I woke up. He got up from his seat. "Do you have the slightest idea of how much worry and trouble you'd caused us?"

"I-I'm sorry!" I stammered. I sat up but I realized that wires were connected to my chest, neck, and left shoulder. I frantically turned to the Englishman. "…Wha-what happened to me?"

"Calm down, Feliciano. You're going to mess up the cables."

I swung my head to the right and saw Yao sitting on a stool by my bed. I looked at the monitor and something was charging at 64%. I sank back into my pillow but I could feel my heart still racing. "Where am I?"

The man in the lab coat turned to face me. I gasped when I realized that it was our deliveryman, Mark. He grinned. "Hey kiddo, how you been?"

I smiled at the familiar face. "I was wondering where you've been!"

He laughed. "Sorry, man. I guess you can say I got promoted." He wore his coat proudly. "I'm a repairman now."

"Yes, a fairly good one at that." Arthur sat back down in his seat. "He fixed you up faster than we thought."

I tilted my head. "I was broken?"

"You don't remember, aru?" I shook my head 'no'. He sighed. "When you saw Nana fall, you attacked her sister but she jabbed her pocketknife between your neck and shoulder."

"And that cut through one of the main cords that connected your nervous system to your power source," Mark finished. He crossed his arms. "You're lucky your emergency shutdown program took over or else we would have had to scrap you."

"Ve…" I looked at my shoulder. I don't remember attacking anyone, but I did remember Nana falling. I immediately sat back up. "Where's Nana?! Is she okay?"

Arthur cleared his throat. "According to the Doctor…" He glanced up at me real quick and then stared down at the ground. "She'd lost her memories. From what I heard, everything that happened in the past eight months or so had been completely wiped out..."

I felt my hands tremble. "W-what?" The Englishman kept his gaze on the floor. I turned to Yao and he just nodded. I whimpered. "But she still has to remember something of us!" I looked at Mark. "Right? Right?" He put his hands in his pockets and shrugged. I only found distant looks in the three. They didn't want to answer me. I knew why. I was just hoping that there was a slight chance that things could look up. I clenched onto the mattress. "Where is everyone else?"

"They're all back at home, aru. You've been shut off for about four days."

I stared at him in disbelief. "For that long..?"

"Yes, lad," Mark replied, "Charging that power source takes a while and the emergency shutdown used up a lot of juice."

I gazed at the blinking monitor. I couldn't protect Nana. I was right there. I got too scared and clumsy. If I didn't push her sister then she wouldn't have fallen. I brought my knees up and sunk my face in my arms. I failed. I failed as her guardian. I failed as her family member. I was such a huge failure.

"Hey… don't give up so easily." Mark rubbed my back. He stuffed a tissue in my fist. "Your guys' situation sounds really tough but you're family, right?" I peered up at him. He smirked. "You just have to jog her memories. You were her real family after all."

My tears continued to fall. I latched onto him in an embrace. "Help us get her back, please!"

"Now, Feliciano, that's a bit much…" said Arthur. "He already had to spend thirty-seven hours repairing you."

Mark made me let go and handed me the whole box of tissues. He ran his hand through his hair. "This is mostly on you guys since I don't exactly know the entirety of the situation…" He crossed his arms. "But I can at least cover for you when the agency gets to you guys."

"Agency?" Yao looked up at him.

He nodded. "These snobby people in the company checks to see if the units are being handled properly. If they find you guys without your owner, you guys are going to have to return to the plant and be reset to factory settings."

"I don't want that!" I cried.

The man leaned against his desk. "I'll figure out something to excuse you guys or at least let you go with a passing mark."

"That will be splendid—" Arthur pulled out his phone and answered a call. "What, you frog?... Yes…. He'd awoken…. He did what?... Why would he do that?!" He stood up and paced to one side of the room. "He wasn't caught, right?... That bloody idiot!... Don't let him act on his own again…. Keep your attention away from a mirror once and—" He scoffed as he realized that big brother Francis had hung up on him. He let out an aggravated sigh and returned to his seat.

"What was that about?" Yao asked.

Arthur pinched the bridge of his nose. "That idiot Alfred went to see Nana at her grandmother's house on his own."

I gasped. "Why is she over there with her?"

"We didn't have a choice, aru. That granny had some sort of influence over the doctor."

I glimpsed at the monitor. It was at 72% now. Mark wasn't going to let me leave until it was completely full_. But if we waited for too long, we might never get to be with Nana again!_ I lied down and put the pillow over my face. _Please charge faster…_ I closed my eyes. _Please remember us, Nana!_

* * *

><p><strong>Sooooo… How'd you like the twist of events? (Don't kill me. . . if you do, there won't be any more updates ;n; ) I feel like I rushed too much for Nana's part but I wanted to get the point across that granny tricked her into living with her instead of the guys. And there is no plot hole with the time. The granny tricked her into thinking weeks had passed because of her mom being gone. It's only been 4 days. <strong>

**Now, the only other Hetalia manual fic I've actually read is EliteKessu's "Why Me?" so this whole repair lab thing is from my head. . . If I copied then hey! Great minds think alike. **

**Anyway, thank you for the reviews/faves/alerts as always. Seeing them first thing in the morning really makes my day. ^v^**

**[READ MEEEEE:] **

**Okay! So I decided to make this a little interactive- What should the guys do to make Nana's memories come back? Leave your suggestions in the reviews or PM them to me! I'll pick the best one (and of course credit you~) and use it as the falling action of this arc. **

**I'm looking forward to great ideas~**


	52. Chapter 51: Recovering State

Recovering State

Mark let me go home the next day. My batteries were finally fully charged. I sometimes forget that I'm a unit; that I'm not actually human with a beating heart, with blood coursing through the veins. I stared down at my lap. Arthur was driving me back home. I wished Nana was here. Waiting in that room was boring. I felt like I was wasting precious time. I could have been out there trying to get her back. I clenched my fists. _What would Ludwig do?_

As Arthur was parking the car, I entered the house. It felt like I haven't been here in forever. I noticed three extra pairs of shoes that were unfamiliar to me. They surely weren't Nana's. I would know because it was always either me or Big Brother Francis that bought them for her. I made my way to the living room.

"_So you're telling me that she's been living with you guys for eight months..?" _

"_Da, comrade."_

"_Lord, why didn't she tell us about all this?"_

I peeked inside. I saw everyone sitting around the room but there were three other girls with them. I didn't really recognize them but I guessed that they were Nana's friend from school.

One of them squealed when our eyes met. "Oh my gosh, it's Feli!" She shook what seemed like her sister's arm. The one with the straighter hair smiled at me apologetically.

The third girl let out an exasperated sigh. "Ly, calm yourself. We went over this already." She reminded me of Ludwig.

Ly giggled and covered her mouth. "I'm sorry, Syd but you know how much I love the Italian Brothers."

Francis waved me over. I sat by him. "Who are they? What's going on?"

He scooted over to give me more space. "They are our dear Nana's friends from school. Their teachers had told them that she no longer attended the school so they got curious and decided to pay us a visit last night."

"But we were _so_ shocked when Iggybrows answered the door. He looked so real!" Ly smirked and nudged her sister's arm. "Irene here almost fainted."

Arthur entered the room and sat on the couch's arm. He cleared his throat. "I had grown accustomed to fangirls after my previous experiences… but this was indeed a surprise."

Sydney crossed her arm. "And then we were faced with many more _familiar_ faces."

Gilbert snickered. "You totally should have seen their faces. I felt like an awesome celebrity." The girl that reminded me of Ludwig blushed a little.

Irene held up her notebook. 'Anyway… We are willing to help get Nana back.'

_Aww, she can't speak..._ I smiled at the three girls. "Grazie [Thank you]!" I looked over at everyone else. "Did you guys come up with a plan while I was gone?"

Silence and guilty stares were all I got. Yao scratched his head. "We were all stuck in a state of shock, aru. It's been nothing but doom and gloom until yesterday when these three showed up."

I frowned. They could have at least tried something, like Alfred had. The said American was standing quietly by the hall's entrance. It was kind of unsettling because he would usually be the one leading these kinds of things.

"If you don't mind me cutting in," Sydney leaned forward in her seat, "Something has been bugging me…" We all gave our attention to her. "Why did her older sister attack her?"

"It's not the first time," muttered Alfred. "It's been a while since her last strike though."

The German girl looked up at him. "Why though? What's going on between them?"

"I believe her sister has a bit of a grudge against her and life in general," Ivan commented. "She vents her anger out on her, da?" He looked at me.

I slowly nodded. "The first time, she wanted the family heirloom and the second time was, I think, payback for putting her into jail…"

Ly hugged her legs. "Well, that's scary… What's her reason of attack this time?"

I shrugged. "But why on her birthday?! It's not fair…"

"Perhaps she works with the grandmother?" Arthur suggested. "I can't help but to keep coming to that conclusion."

"They must have found the phone too, daze." Yong Soo crossed his arms. "We should have just destroyed that thing in the middle of nowhere."

I sighed. I bought Nana a new phone and a cute case to go with it. I know she's been feeling insecure without the device because she knew she wouldn't be able to contact us if she was ever to get into some kind of trouble. _Nana…_ I covered my face. I just want to see her at least. That grandmother had better not be doing anything evil to her.

My head was being stroked by someone. I peeked up and saw Big Brother Francis trying to comfort me. I wiped my eyes. He was giving me a reassuring look. He held me in a gentle embrace and petted my head. "It's all going to work out, mon petit frère [my little brother]. Don't you worry."

"Yeah!" Ly piped up, "We'll figure something out!" Beside her, Irene had drawn a smiley face on her notebook.

"Tears will get you nowhere, ja?" Sydney smiled. It was tense and a little awkward just like Ludwig's. "Cheer up."

A smile perked up on my face as well. "You guys…"

"We need your awesome little energy." Gilbert grinned at me. "The battle's not over!"

Yao nodded. "We've been through so many of them, you should know better, aru."

Yong Soo snickered and poked at his foot. "You probably more than anyone else in this room, though." The Chinese nation retaliated with some flustered scolding.

I giggled. They were right. It wasn't the end. We still have to fight. I sniffed and cleaned my face with my sleeve. "So what is the plan?"

Ivan leaned back in his seat. "We should start by figuring out how we could bring her memories back, da?"

"Right," Arthur stood up from where he was sitting and grabbed a book from the shelf. "There might be a spell in here that could help us…" He flipped through the ancient looking pages.

While everyone else was brainstorming ideas, from the corner of my eyes, I saw Alfred slip away and heard the front door close behind him. I stared at the hall's entrance. _Good luck…_

* * *

><p>"<em>A primary reason for the rise of European power was the military and fiscal revolution. In the military sphere, Europeans…"<em>

I sighed as I scribbled bits of information into my notebook. Being homeschooled was dramatically different from actually going to school, though I haven't really gone to school for about a year. Even night school was more interesting. I crossed out a misspelling and rewrote the word. I rested my chin on my hand. The instructor had this monotonous voice that just made you want to go to sleep.

My eyes wandered around and I caught a glimpse of some portraits hanging in the hallway. I could only identify my grandmother and father; none of me, my mother, or my sister. _Speaking of my sister…_I glanced out the window. I wondered how she was doing with her family, if she had started one with her husband. _How would we ever be able to tell her that mother had passed away?_ I shook my head. The thought of her death was still too fresh in my mind.

"_These conflicts included the Wars of Religion, the Puritan Revolution in England, the Seven Years' War, the American War of Independence, and the French Revolution…"_

A slight smile crept upon my partially covered face as I caught that. Hetalia did indeed make history interesting to me. I remembered how Ciro thought it was silly but he caught on to the show too. I watched a bird that had perched onto the sill. _I never got to say 'good-bye' to him or April… Man…_ I sighed again.

"Miss, please pay attention to your lesson."

I gasped and sat up straight at my desk. My eyes met with the impatient instructor. He was tapping his finger on the table. I laughed nervously. "I'm sorry…"

"Lloyd, I believe that is enough for her today." My grandmother walked into the teaching room.

"But madam, she is behind in her studies and—"

"Enough is enough." She gave him a stern look. He backed off and left the room with his things. She then turned to me. "Why don't you go rest in your room until dinner is ready, hun?"

I did just that. I told my personal maid to leave me alone too. I felt a little bad but at least she didn't have to deal with taking care of someone. Unless she enjoyed that; then that would just be weird.

It was a nice evening despite it being like forty-degrees out. I wore my coat and sat in the terrace area outside my room. I rested my chin against the cool cement and looked out into the garden. I itched to go out and take a walk in the neighborhood, not the mansion's property. It was nice and all but I actually missed the sounds of traffic and random dogs barking in the middle of the night. It was way too peaceful here.

Below, I saw Oliver watering the plants by his shed. I frowned. He shouldn't have to live in that shabby place. Everyone deserved better. Heck, some of the servants even had nice rooms in the mansion. There was plenty of space in here, a bit too much in my opinion. There was one floor where more than half of its rooms were vacant. They were just dusty and waiting to be occupied. The gardener noticed me and waved. I shyly waved back. He grinned and went inside his shed. I wondered what it looked like in there. Perhaps he would show me one day, judging by his friendly nature.

The sun was starting to set but there was still enough light to read. I picked up a book from the table and absentmindedly started reading from the middle. I sat back in my chair. It was a good place in the story. As it was reaching the climax, I heard the shuffling of feet. I glanced up from my book and gasped when I saw a figure climb up onto the terrace. I jumped out of my seat and edged away slowly. The sun had nearly set so it was too dark to clearly make out who it was.

"Nana!" He dusted his hands off.

_That voice…_ "W-what do you want?" I tightened my grip on the book. It was that America cosplayer yet again. _Why won't he leave me alone? Seriously!_

He stepped forward a little and the light from my room clarified his appearance. He clearly looked like Alfred F. Jones. It was scary. He held out his arms. "Look, I'm here to rescue you from the hag. You don't belong here, trust me."

He made a notion as if he was going to sweep me off my feet. I scrambled into my room and before I could close the door, he had put his foot in the way. I cowered away. "Please just leave me alone. I have no idea who you are and why you keep showing up."

His facial expression slightly darkened, as if I took a stab at him. The guy then pulled out some pictures from his bomber jacket pocket and held them out at me. "Look at these, please. They might jog your memories."

_Pictures…? Memories…?_ I reluctantly took them. The images contained of me in group shots with a bunch of other Hetalia cosplayers. I was the only one who wasn't dressed up, well, except for the one where I was an UTAU and the America guy was Ronald Knox from Black Butler and we were at an anime convention for some reason. I shuffled through the pictures. _When did these happen..? Who are these people..?_

I felt my hands shaking. I shoved the images back at him and pressed them against his chest. "Look… You might have the wrong girl." By looking into his eyes, I saw that I had broken his heart. I hoped that it was from the shock of stalking the wrong person.

His lower lip quivered in disbelief. He firmly grasped me by the wrist, causing me to drop the pictures. I raised my other arm to make him let go but he also grabbed that one. "Nana! Listen to me! You have amnesia! I am your unit and you are my owner! You need to come back home!"

_Amnesia? Unit? Owner?_ My head started to ache. I tried to get out of his grip. "What are you talking about?! What unit? What amnesia—" I slipped on one of the photos while I was stepping back. We collapsed onto the ground. I winced for my head had hit the ground. A weird sensation sparked through my head as I saw 'America' on top of me, as if this had happened before.

He was silent but my wrists were still locked in his larger hands. "Please remember… we need you." His voice was barely audible.

A knock sounded on the door. _"Miss? Is everything alright in there? I'm coming in…"_

"Crap," 'America' muttered under his breath. He got off of me and sprinted out to the terrace. I saw him simply jump off. This was the third floor. I rushed to see if he had made it down safely. There were no traces of him.

"My lady! Are you okay? I heard shouting and struggles." Shirley hurried up to me. I realized that my wrists were bruised so I quickly covered them with the coat sleeves. She examined my face and then my room. "What happened?"

"I… I think I'll skip dinner tonight. I'm feeling very tired." I walked over to the pictures that were scattered on the floor. I collected them and stashed them into my pocket. I turned to face the maid. "Tell grandmother I said 'Good night.'"

She looked genuinely concerned. She nodded her head slowly. "…I will let her know." She scurried to the door. "Good night, miss." She gently closed the door behind her.

A sigh that I didn't know I was holding left me after she was gone. I held my head and fell back onto my bed. "What in the world is going on..?" _Why did that moment seem so familiar? Do I really have amnesia? More importantly, who are those people?_ My headache was worsening. I quickly washed up and changed into my pajamas. I buried myself into my sheets. I could still feel his firm grip around my wrists. That piece of memory haunted me. I covered my face.

"Just let me be…"

* * *

><p><strong>I am on a roll with updates, sort of. I didn't realize it's been that long since my last Bittersweet update OTL… <strong>

**I'm on summer break now so I don't have excuses huh..? Well I finally overcame my writer's block, especially after a push from a certain someone who decided to PM me and give me a wakeup call. . . Thank you for that and I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. **

**Shameless advertising- I started writing my original story and posted an experimental chapter on FictionPress. If you're interested, look up "Dread Line" and find me (same username as here). I would really appreciate the feedback before I write more ^^; **

**Anyway, thanks for reading! I'm hoping the next update won't take as long as this last one. If it is then, well, give me a wakeup call (just ask **_**politely**_**. . . I'm sensitive ;A; ). Bai~  
><strong>


	53. Chapter 52: Churning Gears

Churning Gears

I yawned. I had an extremely restless night. Splotches of 'déjà vu'-enticing visions kept emerging in my dream last night. The bags under my eyes looked very bad against my pale skin.

"Are you feeling okay, Miss?" Shirley placed her hand on my forehead.

I gently put her hand down. "I'm not sick, don't worry. I just stayed up too late reading a book." I continued walking down the hall. I wanted to ask grandmother about those men that were in the hospital room. Those were the people that kept showing up in my visions. _Who exactly were they and what relation did they have with me?_ I knocked on the door to her little office. She granted entry and I walked in, finding her working on some paperwork.

She smiled sweetly at me and set her pen down. "What is the matter, dearie?"

A sense of nervousness rushed through me all of the sudden. I swallowed and placed myself in one of the seats. "I've been wondering about something…"

The old woman picked up her pen again to continue signing a document. "What is it?"

I watched the ink glide across the paper. "You know those people that were with me in the hospital room when I woke up?"

She dotted her 'i'. "Yes..?"

"Who were they?"

She replaced the document with another and her eyes shifted across the sheet. "They were my older business clients that decided to come by to see how you were doing."

_Business clients..?_ I shifted in my seat and rested my elbow on the arm. "They were a colorful bunch, in terms of nationalities."

She chuckled. "I believe you have too much dose of that show and manga you are a fan of. What was it called again? Hetalia?"

I moved back in my seat. Well, I _have_ been going through that recently because it cheered me up. But to the extent of making me _see_ the characters in real life was a bit freaky. "There's no way, plus this one guy keeps bothering me—"

"Just ignore them, dear. I've already arranged some of my servants to keep unwanted visitors away." She smiled at me. "You are safe here and if there is something that bothers my little granddaughter then I will do all that it takes to get rid of the problem, you hear me?"

I slowly nodded. _So that 'America' guy will no longer show up..?_ I was about to mention the pictures until her phone started ringing. I saw on the caller ID that it was some business relation so I decided to leave the room. On my way out, I bumped into a maid carrying a tea tray, causing her to drop the sugar bowl. "Oh sorry…" I knelt down to recover the container and what was left of it.

"_I suggest we begin the negotiations now._"

I dusted together a pile of sugar and swept them onto a napkin.

"_I would also love to present to you my heir in the meantime. I believe she will be a great leader… Her name? Nana."_

_Heir..?_ The servant took the napkin and thanked me. After she proceeded into the room, I stood close to the slightly opened door.

"_Yes, I have gotten myself an heir. That offer is now open to me as well, isn't it?" _

_Offer..?_ I realized that the maid was leaving so I hurried down the hall. _Am I a business pawn..?_ I didn't even know what company she was the head of. Out of undying curiosity, I decided to go into her other office full of files and documents. I roamed around and after ten minutes of information searching, I learned that she was the head of a jewelry line that first started in Japan and had decided to branch into America. I did not want to be the heir of this, or anything in fact. _Natsumi would be good at this though… She's always been fond of jewelry…_

There was one too many things to have in my mind at once. Fresh air deemed to be the stress reliever. I sat out in the garden while having milk tea. I pressed at my temples. The lack of sleep was finally hitting me hard. _I should go back to my room and nap for a bit…_ I thought back to the visions and what grandmother had said. _Maybe I really was having an overdose of Hetalia… and the depression over my mother's death was making me lose my senses…_

"I think you should be havin' chamomile tea instead, Miss."

My eyes flashed open and saw Oliver hovering over me with a concerned look on his face. I sat up straight and rubbed my eyes. "And why do you say that?"

He tilted his head. "It'll help you fight fatigue. You look mighty tired."

I felt myself blush. I looked down at my foot. "Well thank you for your concern." I saw him leaving the table. "W-wait!" Realizing that my hand subconsciously rose up as if I was reaching for him, my face grew warmer and I quickly retracted.

He turned around. "Yes?"

Flustered, I didn't know what to say next. I didn't exactly want him to leave though. "D-do you want to have a tea break?"

He seemed very happy about it. "That sounds like a great idea! Thank you." He set his pruning shear down and wiped his hands on the towel that was hanging from his trouser belt loop. He went to fetch another tea cup. It was a good ten minutes or so before he returned. With him was an empty cup for himself and another one with golden colored tea. He carefully set the new drink in front of me. "I made you some chamomile tea while I was over there." He sat down and poured some milk tea in his cup.

_He went through the troubles to make me this..?_ I saw him watching so I decided I should take a sip of the new tea out of courtesy. The aroma reminded me of the garden itself. It was mind-relieving in one sense or another. "Thank you, Oliver…"

His cheeks grew slightly pink and he cracked a huge smile. "You're welcome!" He brought his cup to his lips but quickly brought it down for he had burnt his tongue.

I couldn't help but to giggle. "Let's be a bit more careful." Embarrassed, he just laughed it off and leaned back in his seat. I watched him look admiringly at the flower bed beside him. _How did he end up working here..?_ "Oliver, can I ask you something?"

He fixed his hat. "Anything you want, Miss."

I stirred the tea. "When did you start working here?"

He looked up at the sky in deep thought. "Um… Maybe nine years ago. My old man used to work here and I decided to take up his job after he passed away."

_Carrying on his father's career…_ "I see…" I took a glimpse at the roses. "You're a very good gardener."

He leaned forward in his seat. "If you think this is good, then you should have seen my old man's work!"

As he was telling me a tale of his father, I noticed a stray shadow behind the shed. The figure had seen that I had noticed her and backed away rather reluctantly. Her face seemed very familiar. I laughed to myself thinking that it was my sister. There was no way that it could have been her. _What would she be doing up there spying on me anyway?_ I concluded that it was one of grandmother's watchdogs and tuned back into Oliver's story.

* * *

><p>"<em>Quit freaking messing around!<em> You aren't the only one that wants to be the hero here!" Gilbert swung his fist at Alfred's face. I shrieked as the blow reeled the American back where I was hiding. I didn't have to nerve to jump in. No way. Everyone else was gone carrying out their own business. Only minutes before, I was just sitting in the dining room flipping through the cookbook to get my mind off of things until I heard violent crashes in the living room. I decided to peek out from behind the couch.

"_Shut up_, beer-loving narcissist!" Alfred returned the favor and got the Prussian right in the gut. "What do you care about her?"

Gilbert recovered quickly and slammed him against the wall, causing some picture frames to fall down. I think I heard one shatter. "I dare you to say that again, you unawesome _punk_…"

The dark tension locked between the two units' glares was fierce. I swallowed. _This was not good at all! Oh no oh no oh no…_ As I stood up, in hopes of coming up with something to stop them even if I really had nothing, someone else swept past me. I gasped and cowered back behind my wall of defense. _Oh no…_

"Comrades, let's stop with all this fighting, da—" Gilbert had dodged Alfred's headbutt and Ivan ended up receiving a blow to the chin. The Russian just stood there with his head hung down for a solid ten seconds. The ticking of the clock echoed in the room. I felt the air get colder and colder as each second went by. Gil's expression gradually turned into one of panic as he realized what had just happened. In one quick sweep, Ivan knocked the two to the ground, one on top of the other, and stepped on Alfred's back with one foot. He had a menacing aura around him. "Let's stop with all this fighting, da..?"

"Look what you caused, punk…" the Prussian growled.

"You're the one that moved away!" Alfred retorted.

"As if I would take that unawesome strike!" Gilbert's face started growing red. "And oxygen… is getting squeezed… out of my freaking lungs!"

Ivan tilted his head. "Aww…" He stepped harder. "Let me speed that up for you, _comrade_."

I jumped out of my place. "S-s-stop it! Let's stop fighting and make some pasta instead, yes? Yes?"

Silence buzzed the room until the doorbell suddenly rang. I heard Yong Soo call out 'I got it!' from down the hall. A couple of muffled voices were heard, the front door closed, and the sound of footsteps approached the living room. Out to greet us were Yong Soo and Mark.

The former deliveryman raised his brow as he picked up the broken picture frame. "What's going on here?"

Ivan's dark aura swept away almost instantly as he greeted the visitor with an all too innocent smile. "Nothing to worry much about, Mark. What brings you here this afternoon?"

He looked at him unsurely but shook off the notion. "Well, I saw your fellow companions pull up in the driveway so I'll wait until you all gather so I don't have to repeat myself." He plopped onto the couch, making himself at home.

We managed to gather everyone into the living room. Alfred and Gilbert placed themselves on the opposite ends of the room, with Ivan approximately in the middle of them. Arthur served the guest some tea.

After we were all settled down, Mark cleared his throat. "I came for several reasons. But one is the most important one."

"And what would that be, aru?" Yao placed his hands in his sleeves.

"Well," he cracked a grin, "I may actually be able to help you with your Nana-problem aside from keeping the agency off your tail…"

I stifled a gasp. "Really?" I placed both hands onto the table and leaned toward him. "How? How?"

"Calm down a bit, Feliciano." Arthur gave me a stern look. I sank back down.

Mark dug into his coat's interior pocket and pulled out a small cardboard box. He placed it onto the coffee table and carefully unpackaged some weird looking devices. He held up one that looked like an oversized SD card. "The Flying Mint Bunny Express started this inside project that stores the memories of the units that are returned so that they could improve on their services and stuff."

I held my head. "Do we all have slots in our heads for that?"

He chuckled. "Only for the newer models. But as for you guys, you need to have a cord connect your 'brain' to another device." He flipped the oversized SD card like a coin. "It was bothersome so they never cared to take the time to collect the memories before."

Alfred crossed his arms and leaned against the bookshelf behind him. "So how will that thing help us?"

Mark held up a device that looked like a headband. "I believe that if one of you transferred your memories with Nana to the card then to this, and somehow placed it on her head, then you should be able to jog her memories enough to bring her back."

Big Brother Francis petted my head. "I believe that Feliciano should be the one to share." Everyone else agreed in unison. I accepted that. I'm the one that's been with her the longest after all.

"The real question is that _who_ will be the one making her wear the thing," Mark noted. Everyone looked around at each other unsurely.

Alfred stood up. "I'll do it. I've been seeing her anyway." He reached for a cord that came in the box. "Come on, Feli. Let's start—"

"There you go again!" Gilbert scowled. He stood up and blocked the American to prevent him from grabbing the wires. "Don't you have a sense of strategizing before taking action, _Dummkopf_?!" I saw his brows furrow deeper and deeper. It was rare hearing that from him considering how he was pretty impulsive himself.

Arthur sighed. "I hate to agree with him but he is right, Alfred. You need to slow down, especially since you've been close to getting into trouble so many times already."

"You can't hog the 'hero' label to yourself, comrade," Ivan said coldly.

I watched Alfred's jaws tighten. He stomped his foot on the ground. "You guys are too slow! She's going to be completely out of our grasps by the time we get anywhere!" He tried reaching around Gilbert for the cords but the Prussian resisted. "Move it!"

"Asseyez-vous [Sit down]!" I flinched. All eyes went to Francis, who had been sitting there quietly watching everything fall slowly apart. He combed his hair back with his hand. "Listen to the voices around you, Alfred. We all want Nana back as much as you do. Even Feliciano is more patient about this than you and he is the one with deeper ties with her than the rest of us!"

Alfred made a fist. "But—"

"Tais-toi [Shut up]!"

The American was determined to get the work done. He glared at Gilbert. "If you don't move in the next five seconds, you are going to—"

"Well!" The fighting came to a pause. "In any case, I wish you guys luck." Mark stood up and handed Arthur all the devices. He walked toward the hall. "Call me over if you need help on how to work that thing." Then he left, leaving silence behind him. However, the front door slammed open again and heavy footsteps made their way into the living room.

I gasped. "Miss Elizabeta!... And..?" I glanced past her to see who she was, literally, dragging in. My blood started to boil. "Nana's sister!"

"You know this creep?" The Hungarian unit held up the lady. "I saw her lurching around your front porch."

The black clothed woman growled. "Who would have thought frying pans were actually effective weapons…" She squirmed around but she was tied up tight by a scarf.

All of the sudden, Alfred grabbed Natsumi and shoved her up against the wall. "Why don't you leave your sister alone?! Why do you have to keep harming her, huh?!" He pressed harder. "What's your motive this time?!"

"Lord, calm the heck down—"

"I'm not screwing around!" The American's scowl scared me. He was filled with so much rage.

Francis placed a hand on his shoulder. "Let's calm down a bit, non? We might as well hear her out."

"Why should we—" Alfred suddenly collapsed onto the ground. Yao heaved a sigh and placed his hands back into his sleeves. The younger unit struggled to get back up but he could barely lift his head. "What did you do to me?!"

"Aiyah," the Chinese unit shook his head, "you are too hot-headed right now, aru; continuously relying on your strength and harsh words." He gave him a foreboding look. "You will fall if you keep it up."

Natsumi sat up against the wall and stared at us. "Wow you guys multiply each time I come by."

I slammed my hand against the table. "…Why did you do it?"

Yong Soo crossed his arms. "And how did you find us here, daze?"

She frowned. "Well, I went to the old house to take another stab at stealing the heirloom but no one was there. Then I saw some goons pick up some package from there. I realized that it was Nana's phone so I followed them back to wherever they were taking it, in hopes of leading me to where you guys were. I was totally wrong."

"Ah, so there must be a tie between you and the grandmother," noted Arthur.

"Look who's the Sherlock Holmes over here." Natsumi crossed her legs together. "Yeah, we made a deal. She needed Nana and in return she would allow me to become the next person in line to take charge of the company. Of course, I was still targeting the heirloom discreetly."

I raised a brow. "… She's got her. Why are you still here?"

Natsumi hung her head slightly. "…That old hag broke the deal. I overheard her phone conversation and said that _Nana_ will be the next heir." Her facial expression darkened. "I can't believe I fell for it…"

"So, are you on our side now, daze?" Yong Soo asked warily.

"Screw that! I still came for the treasure." She then sighed. "But I will help you get Nana out of that hag's hands. I can put that stupid headpiece on her."

_So she was spying on us the whole time…_ I raised my hand. "How can we trust you?"

She slammed her feet against the ground. "You know I hate it when my sister outshines me! I cannot allow this to slide past me."

We looked at each other with uneasy looks. Big Brother Francis stood up and undid the scarf knot. "We will mark your words, mais [but]" he turned to Miss Elizabeta, "you are to keep her under your watch."

The Hungarian grinned and waved her frying pan threateningly. "No problem~."

I think Alfred got control of his body again. He sat up and rubbed his neck. "…So what's the full plan?"

I smiled. He was finally willing to work with all of us. We brought out sheets of paper and began devising a plan to get Nana back to us. We included her three friends as well. Arthur called them over and they came without wasting time. I felt my heart racing. Things were finally moving into action.

* * *

><p><strong>Wow that was a chunky chapter. I just couldn't stop writing and I wanted to fit this all in -3- though Feli's POV part was changed four times. I almost included a new unit but there were way too many people involved right now… Sowwy. <strong>

**Yes, the sister is back and is willing to work with the units. Nana is still confused as ever and the grandmother is still evil as ever. **

**So what will their plan be on getting Nana back? We'll find out in the next chapter… **

**Thanks for the read, faves, and reviews! \o/**


	54. Chapter 53: Operation: Hero Time

Operation: Hero Time

"I have to be quite honest, Madam Iyata; I was hoping that _you_ would be able to tie this deal with us."

The old woman laughed. "I am pleased to hear that, Stein." She casually glimpsed in my direction as she sipped her tea.

Immediately, I darted my eyes away to the other direction. _Why do I have to sit through this business meeting with her..?_ My back was starting to ache from having to sit up straight for what felt like ten hours. As I picked up my cup, goose bumps ran up my arm. I slowly glanced over at the person seated across from me. It was Mr. Stein's son and the looks he was giving me was far from comfortable. A sly grin came across his face when our eyes met. I choked on my drink and turned my head away, trying to stifle my coughs.

Grandmother started patting my back. "Silly Nana."

Mr. Stein chuckled. "In any case, I feel that by combining our companies, we could become unstoppable." He turned to his son. "Don't you agree, Ty?

The said guy rested his chin in his palm. I could feel his violet blue eyes peering right through me. "Why yes, father."

I wiped my mouth with a napkin. _This guy…_ There was no way I was going to marry him or whatever to help tie the businesses together. I hated people like him. I sank back in my seat in defeat. The two elderly were busy chatting away so I could get away with breaking my posture.

The conversation began to turn for the worst, in my perspective that is. The negotiations were starting to meet their ends. _Crap…_ I needed to stop them. This whole situation was too sudden, for anyone really if they were in my place. I didn't want this. I just wanted a peaceful recovery. I didn't even have time to think about anything really. It was all placed into my hands once I woke up this morning.

Mr. Stein pulled out a fancy-looking document. "Let's seal this deal then, shall we?" He pulled out a pen from his suit pocket.

"Why yes, of course." The satisfaction in my grandmother's voice was clearly audible.

_What to do…_ I looked around. There was nothing I could do to cause a large enough distraction. _Wait…_ I tapped my foot against the table's leg. The tea wobbled slightly. I spotted Mr. Stein's tea right next to the document. _Yes… perfect._ As I took a sip of my tea, I brought my right leg up to rest it on top my left. During the process, I kicked at the table, causing his drink to tip over and spill on both the paper and a bit of Ty's pants.

The exclamation that filled the room was amusing. Grandmother and Mr. Stein let out gasps of absolute horror while Ty shrieked upon realizing that the tea had stained his white pants.

"Are you serious?! I _just_ got these trousers!" He stormed out of the room.

"Ty, wait a moment!" The door slammed shut before Mr. Stein could do anything. I couldn't help but to smile behind the cup. _Mission accomplished…_

I sensed the dark aura emitting from my grandmother's glare. She shook her head and motioned the servants to clean up the mess. "I am terribly sorry, Stein. It's very rare for her to be such a clutz."

He chuckled. "Ty tends to react like that many times so have no worries, Madam." He lifted up the dripping document. "Though it is unfortunate that this had gotten soiled."

Another death glare was sent my way. Grandmother let out a nervous laugh. "Shall we leave this for another day? With your son gone and all…"

He nodded. "That would probably be the best thing. I apologize for his behavior."

"Oh no, it's not entirely his fault."

"I will pick up my son afterwards as I will be joining you for dinner." Mr. Stein left. I faced the window as grandmother turned my way. The dark aura was back. I laughed nervously. "I think I will get some fresh air. It's good for my health, yes?" I scurried out of the room as fast as I could.

Once I was outside, I raised my arms up victoriously. _Mission accomplished!_ A smirk came upon my face. _Take that… Though…_ It was like another déjà-vu moment. It's as if it wasn't the first time I knocked over tea to ruin a document. I shrugged and glanced behind me. Scared that she might hunt me down, I decided to climb up a tree and sit on one of the branches until dinner.

After waking up from a nap, I heard some muttering below. I caught a glimpse of Ty pacing back and forth cursing about stuff, probably about his pants. I did feel a bit bad since I didn't realize that the tea would spill on him as well. It was a payback for giving me those dirty looks anyway.

"_Father's too ambitious sometimes!"_

I sat up to stretch. _So it wasn't all about his ruined pants… Could he be against this business merge too?_ I tried to catch more of his self-talk but I realized that he had started sobbing. _Man…_ I didn't want to do it but I felt too bad to let it slide. I made my way down the tree and slowly approached him.

He turned around when I stepped on a twig. Quickly drying his eyes, he returned to his previous state. "You didn't hear all that, did you?"

"I might have." I sighed. "Sorry about your pants."

He stared at me for a while, long enough to make me feel kind of uncomfortable. He then broke into a smile. "Don't worry about it. I was having an off day so that spill was like the last draw."

"I see…" I fiddled with the end of my hair and turned on my heel, looking up at the bare tree. "So what do you—" He suddenly took me into his arms. I gasped and was only able to move enough to face him again. His grip was firm. "Wha-wha-what are you doing?!"

The look in his eyes from before was back. "Don't mind me. You reminded me of my girlfriend, that's all."

_His girlfriend..?_ Would that mean he would see other people regardless of business merges or does he not like the idea of arranged marriages and would rather stick to his own true love. Whichever one it was, I did not like this close contact. "…What do you think about this whole deal with the companies?"

He looked up in thought for a second and shrugged. "As long as my father becomes more powerful and remains happy, I can't complain." He cupped my chin in his hand and tilted my head up to gaze directly into his eyes. "In order for that to happen, you will have to be mine…"

I blushed. "What about your girlfriend? She'll get mad—Don't lower your hand any more than that!"

He simply smiled. "She doesn't need to know. You're just a pawn anyway."

_Just a pawn…_ I shoved him but he wouldn't budge. "Let me go!"

"You'll be mine." He held me closer and went in for a kiss. But it never happened. He exclaimed in pain and let go of me.

I lowered my knee. I didn't hit him. Behind Ty, I saw someone else standing nearby with a rake. _That hat…_

Oliver smiled and rested the tool on his shoulder. "Sorry, I was rakin' and didn't see you two there."

Ty rubbed his back and glared at him. "What kind of idiot strikes the middle of someone's back with full force and calls it an 'accident'?!"

The gardener shrugged casually. "I apologized, didn't I?" He took me by the wrist. "Anyway, Shirley was looking for you. Let's go~."

I was still in a dazed-shocked state as I was pulled away by Oliver. But what I knew for sure was that I was saved. When I looked back, Ty was massaging his back and flipping us off. _How mature of him…_

Once we were far enough, Oliver let out a sigh of relief. "I can't believe I actually did that…"

I looked at him and then at the ground. "Thank you…"

He shyly smiled. "You're this castle's princess and…" he stared down and slightly blushed, "I wanted to be the knight in shining armor for once…"

_A knight, huh..?_ I stifled a laugh.

His face turned an even brighter red. "W-what are you laughing at?"

I sped up my pace and saw Shirley waiting for me by the door. _That was a bit cheesy…_ I glanced back and smiled at him. _But I appreciated the effort…_

* * *

><p>"Ve… I-I think that's enough…" I stared down at the person that has been beaten to the pulp.<p>

Ivan restrained Alfred while the twin sisters held their German friend back. After Nana and the gardener person had left, these two decided to beat up the guy that harassed Nana.

The American scoffed and gave him one last kick. "That outta teach him to keep his dirty hands off of her!"

"Agreed." Sydney sneered at the guy.

The twins let out a sigh of relief. Ly peeked through the hedge we were hiding behind. "So what are we going to do now? Wait 'til she goes to bed?"

Miss Elizabeta nodded. "Pretty much. Or else it'll be harder to put the headpiece on her."

Gilbert sat on the ground. "Isn't that until another three hours or something? Why the heck did we come so early?"

"Yeah," I looked at Nana's sister, "wasn't it better if we'd come later?"

She shook her head. "Such an inexperienced bunch…" She looked at the group. It was me, Miss Elizabeta, Ivan, Alfred, Gilbert, and Nana's three friends. "Before striking a target, you have to observe its surroundings. We have to see where those pesky guards are stationed and locate the rooms we are looking for."

"Ohh~, that makes sense." I sat on the ground by the Prussian unit and peered through the foliage. "It was hard enough to get here so I bet there's a bunch more bad guys on the inside."

"If that's the case then Alfred, Ivan, and Gil are in charge of keeping them preoccupied." Miss Elizabeta looked at the three. "Try not to kill them though."

Sydney sat on the back of the guy she knocked out earlier. "And we are to cause trouble in the opposite wing from Nana's room to keep everyone else busy, ja?"

"Right," Natsumi turned to me. "You are to keep the grandmother busy. Once we get a guard, you wear his clothes and get close to her through the disguise, got it?"

I saluted at the lady. "Yes, sir!" I just hoped that she wouldn't immediately recognize me. That'll be really bad.

Nana's sister pulled out the box and unfolded the headband thing. "I just gotta place this on her head and BAM, she's all yours again."

"While you do that, I'll keep her personal servant busy." Miss Elizabeta glanced past the hedge. "I just hope she won't put up much of a fight."

"Just don't screw up."

The Hungarian turned to Natsumi and smirked. "Who's the one that caught you in less than a minute?"

She scowled. "You got me off guard!"

"Yes yes," Miss Elizabeta chuckled, "whatever you say."

I looked at the time. It was seven so Nana was probably having supper right now. It was going to be a long wait. We set Mr. Harasser on one of the chairs in the garden with his head resting on his folded arms to make it seem like he was sleeping. It was a good thing we did that since his father was looking for him. A while later, Natsumi and Alfred had gone out to scout the perimeter and after they had returned, we went over the complete plan. They'd even caught a guard already so I changed into his suit. It was a little too big but they told me that as long as I didn't talk too much and kept the sunglasses on then the grandmother would not notice right away.

Several hours later, the stations were clearly pinpointed and the rooms were found. Nana's room lights went out. It was finally time. The nine of us split up to carry out our plans.

I crept along the outer edge of the garden and snuck into the mansion. There were two other guards in the hall. They were in similar attire as me so I hoped that they wouldn't stop me. I swallowed and casually walked by them.

"Hey!"

_Uh oh…_ I froze and looked back. "Y-yes?"

"Where are you going? Isn't your station over there?" He pointed at some direction.

_Think me, think of an excuse!_ "I… um… I was sent to pass on a message to Madam about something in the garden! Yes, that's it!"

He was silent for a moment. I couldn't tell through the shades whether if he was suspicious of me or what. He shrugged. "Fine then, go tell her. Better you than me. But hurry back to your post when you're done!"

"Y-yes sir!" I sped down the hall and made a turn. I ended up in front of the door of the grandmother's office. I peeked through the gap and saw that she was busy with paperwork. _What am I supposed to do now..? _

The phone suddenly rang. She answered and as words were exchanged back and forth, her tone of voice grew fiercer. She stood up from her chair. "Wallace? Wallace, what's going on? Answer me!" She scowled and upon realizing that no one was responding, she slammed the phone down.

A shriek escaped me after the abrupt action. I gasped and covered my mouth. I saw her narrow her eyes and stare at the door. "Who's there?"

_I guess I can't really hide anymore…_ I meekly walked in. "W-what seems to be the matter, Madam?"

"Oh, it's just you." She dialed in a number on her phone. "Why aren't you at your post?"

"I… umm… I came to…" _Holy crapola, think! I have to stall her…_

The grandmother dialed several other numbers but no one answered any of them. She looked up at me, her eyes full of anxiety, stress, and anger. "What is going on out there? Why isn't _anyone_ at their posts?!"

I backed up. "I-I don't know, Madam. I didn't see anyone out there on my way here."

"I need to see for myself thrn." She made her way to the door.

_No! Don't leave!_ I dove in and blocked the exit. "You-you can't go out there! What if it's dangerous?"

She didn't seem convinced at all. "I order you to move!"

I felt myself trembling. Her yelling was scary. But I couldn't let her leave. We needed Nana back. "I think it's best if you stayed!"

She grimaced at me. "If you do not let me through then I will fire you and blacklist your family..."

I swallowed. I couldn't take it anymore. "Why did you do it?!"

"Do what? I haven't fired you yet, you imbecile."

I made a fist. I threw off my sunglasses and fixed my hair back into place. "Why did you have to take Nana away from us?!"

Her eyes widened for a second. She frowned. "I see what's going on…"

I stomped on the ground. "Answer me—"

Crackling was heard from the opposite side of the room. Before we knew it, it was engulfed into flames. The ceiling by the windows then collapsed, blocking our potential escape. I felt the doorknob immediately heat up, causing me to yelp in pain and letting it go. The door also burst into flames.

"What in the world…" The grandmother scanned the room in horror. She angrily turned to me and grabbed my collars. "It was part of your plan, wasn't it?! Burning my mansion down!"

_Why is the place on fire?! _My heart was racing. "No! No, it wasn't! I swear!" _Did I miss something? Did the girls accidentally start a fire? I thought it was solely supposed to be a stealth mission!_

The woman started coughing and her grip weakened. I looked for an exit. The windows were blocked and the door was on fire. The smoke wasn't affecting me but this heat could cause my parts to blow up. With the elderly lady in my arms and no sight of escape, I was at a complete loss. My eyes were tearing up.

_Help!_

* * *

><p><strong>Dun dun dun dunnnnnn…<strong>

**Stealth mission gone wrong? That should have been the chapter title but I don't like giving stuff away~ Nope. **

**Just a little heads up, it's going to return to Nana-only POV starting in the next chapter. It was fun while it lasted but there will be no need for that anymore. **

**Honestly, I didn't particularly feel too great about this chapter. What did you guys think? I didn't really think it was a good lead-in for the rescue mission. It might just be me. Please leave a review about that. **

**Thank you for your continuous support! I appreciate them always. I hope you're enjoying your summer! Tell me a little about that too if you'd like :3**

**Bai~**


	55. Chapter 54: Moment of Peace

Moment of Peace

…_What's going on? Make it stop! _I started screaming. While holding my head, I ended up rolling out of bed. Flashes of images and voices rapidly entered into my mind. I felt the room heating up around me. I sat up. Memories after memories after memories pulsed through me. The pressure; I couldn't take it. "Make it stop! Make it stop! Make it st—"

Something was torn off my head. Almost instantly, it all stopped. I sunk into someone's arms. I felt weak. I slowly looked up to see who it was. It was my sister. She held me close and wiped away tears I didn't know I was shedding. The room was still hot though. I took a glimpse around. It was gradually getting engulfed into flames. "W-why are you here..?"

Elizabeta barged through the doors, with an unconscious maid over her shoulder. "This whole wing's going to burn down. We have to get out of here!"

"Crap, what happened down there?!" Natsumi threw me over her shoulder as well. "Hang on tight if you want to live." Without a single clue of what's going on, I just did as I was told.

We went to the far end of the garden. There were about twenty men in suits and women lying on the ground unconscious. Elizabeta set down the maid, whom I realized was Shirley, with the others. Ivan and Alfred were staring at the burning mansion. As soon as my sister set me down, the two turned to me and immediately came in my direction.

"Nana!" Alfred swept me up off my feet and brought me in a tight embrace. Within that instant, he did something I would have never expected for him to do. Realizing what he just did, he quickly let me go. He turned away, putting his hand to his mouth and madly blushing. "I… uh… Welcome back, dude."

My face was just as red. I covered my mouth. _Did he just… No way… Why?!_

"Glad to have you back, padrooga~." Ivan hung his arms over our shoulders. He tilted his head in my direction. "You _are_ back, da?"

I slowly nodded, getting myself out of the sudden trance. "…Where did I go?" I looked at the burning building. "Why is that place on fire?"

Before anyone answered me, I was tackled to the ground. The person held me tight, partially sobbing. "I'm so glad you're safe! I was scared that you were caught in that mess!"

_Ly..?_ I saw the Irene and Sydney were jogging up to us as well. I awkwardly petted the clingy girl's head. "Yes, I'm alive… Why are you guys here?"

"That's something _we_ would like to ask _you_." Sydney lifted me all the way up by my shirt. She was furious. "Why did you have to go and worry us like that?" She shook me. "Huh?!"

_Sydney…_ "I'm sorry. I don't know what I did but I'm extremely sorry." She sighed and set me down. _She's scary strong…_

The German girl scanned the area. "Where're Gilbert and Feliciano?"

"They're here too?" I looked around. It was an unusual bunch we had here. I took a careful glimpse at the building and the garden. It was my grandmother's place. _Why were we here? Why was it on fire?_

"There they are!" Elizabeta pointed to some direction. "See Gil's hair? He's carrying—Oh no!" She sprinted off toward some rubble.

I followed her trail. _Dear lord…_ I ran toward them. "Feliciano!"

Gilbert got completely out of the mess, with the unconscious Italian in his arms. He had a solemn expression on his face. Sparks were coming out from Feliciano's arm, or at least where his arm was supposed to be. The injured unit was clutching onto a sunhat and letter with his other hand.

The sunhat looked familiar. _The hat…_ I froze upon realizing whose it was. _No…_ "Oliver…" I whispered. I took the hat and looked at Gilbert. "What happened in there..?"

He scowled and handed Feliciano, along with his missing arm, to Elizabeta. "Take him to Mark."

"But—"

"Just get him out of here!" he shouted at her. She sighed and rushed off.

I watched her go then I turned back to the Prussian. "Gilbert…"

"He's going to be fine! Just lost a stupid limb…" He stomped off to where the others were.

Before he went any further, I grabbed his hand. It was all torn up with some mechanical parts showing up. "Tell me what happened in there."

He shook my hand off of his and faced me. "They're gone."

I felt the colors drain from my face. Oliver didn't make it. _But 'they'..?_ "Who..?"

"Your stupid gardener boyfriend and that super unawesome and annoying grandma!"

A cold shiver went down my spine. The hat slipped out of my hand. _Her too..?_ I stared at the flames.

"I found Feli and then that redneck jumped in and got the granny." Gilbert kicked a brick into the fire. "But that _Dummkopf__ decided to be…" his voice fell into a slight whisper but rose again, "…and shoved us out of the way from falling ceiling crap." _

_I looked up at him, slightly confused. "He was saving you guys…" _

_"Don't you get it?!" He grabbed me by the arms. "He killed himself to make sure that hag went down too!" He then held up the hat. "And then Feli's arm got caught when he reached for them. On the other side, they attached the freaking hat and letter!" _

_I stared at the hat. I stared at the completely burnt down building. I stared off to where Feliciano was taken. The choking feeling in my throat swelled up. _

_"Hey! Quit your crying…" _

_"Don't be so insensitive, comrade." _

_"Nana…" _

_I turned to Alfred. My lower lip started to quiver. I dove right into his arms. Confused, relieved, angered, saddened; I didn't really know. There was a moment of silence, and within that silence, the tears wouldn't stop falling._

_We explained the situation to the fire department. The people that made it out of the mansion were taken to the hospital. Shirley, for some reason, covered for us and said it was their fault for the fire. She told us to leave before any suspicions were made. _

_It was late by the time we went home. Close to two in the morning but no one could really go to bed. Francis, Yao, Arthur, and Yong Soo were all delighted and relieved to see me again. We all sat around the living room while Mark was fixing up Feliciano in the garage with Elizabeta. I was surprised he came at this hour. He apparently was the key to getting me back. His weird head device surged the memories back into me. He asked for my feedback, and all I could tell him was that it was a terrible experience. _

_On the other hand, Ly, Irene, and Sydney refused to leave. It was too late to send them away anyway since they've already called home and said they were sleeping over. They knew my Hetalia secret so there was no point in making stuff up now. While I was gone, the guys told the girls the whole situation of what happened to me along with why they lived with me. I was a little mad at the latter since they decided for that themselves without asking me but like they had much of a choice. I trusted the three anyway. _

_"…I'm sorry guys." _

_Everyone looked up at me. I dropped to my knees and faced Ly, Irene, and Sydney. I bowed down to them. "I'm sorry for keeping this whole thing from you." _

_Irene held up her notebook. I took a quick glimpse at it. __"It's okay—"_

_Ly put the sign down. "Couldn't you trust us..?" _

_I stared at the ground. "I-I have a hard time trusting people… It takes me forever to get through to anyone…" _

_"Ly…" Sydney placed her hand on her friend's shoulder. "Everyone holds secrets for a reason, ja?" _

_She looked at her sister and bit her lower lip. "…Yeah." _

_"Ta soeur [Your sister]…" Francis cut in, "she isn't actually sick, is she?" _

_Ly made a fist and glared at him. "Leave her out of thi—"_

_Irene gently hit her sister's head with her notebook. We didn't need to hear it to know what she was implying. The girl scribbled something and held it up for us to read. __"I'm mute."_

_Francis gently smiled and sat by her. He petted her head. "Well, even without a voice, we can still hear you through your beautiful personality." She blushed madly and ducked behind her trusty notebook. _

_That made more sense…_ I wondered why she became mute though. I decided it wasn't really in my business to ask however. I got out of the bowing position. "You guys can sleep here in the living room tonight. The other rooms are pretty packed so sorry for the discomfort…"

"Are you kidding me?" Ly cracked a huge grin. "I'm surrounded by characters from my favorite anime! I'm more than okay with that!"

I laughed. "That's good to hear then."

"Just…" She looked down the hall. "I hope Feli will be fixed up soon… Poor guy."

I nodded. I missed him. Once I see his bright smile, I would know for sure that I was back at home. It felt like it's been forever. The others relayed to me of what the doctor told them. Amnesia crept up to me due to the accumulation of head injuries I've been through. The earliest sign was when I forgot about my ID number during that time I was in the nurse's office. The final blow was when I fell down the stairs. With my sister kidnapping me and all, it must have put a lot of stress on Feliciano.

Yong Soo sat by me and offered me a snack. "Lighten up, daze. He's a tough little guy."

I mirrored his smile. I took the biscuit and ate some of it. "…I'm very grateful for having you guys by my side."

"You can't live without having the Awesome Me around!"

"We are family, non~?"

"You are also our owner, love, so it would have been a complete and utter mess without you."

"Silly comrade, you were one of the most worried out of all of us."

"Yeah Artie!"

"Don't call me that!"

"Aiyah, at least we weren't the foolish ones that tried handling this situation alone."

Yong Soo hugged me from behind. "We're all just glad you're finally back, daze."

"I'm glad too— Yong Soo!" I sharply elbowed him and retreated into the kitchen area. I folded my arms across my chest and stood behind the counter with Yao. I glared at him while he grinned back. _If that was meant to be a homecoming surprise then… Thanks but no thanks!_ The Chinese unit sighed and went to scold the pervert.

I watched as things started to get a bit chaotic. In the end, I could only laugh about it. I think it's only been about a week or so but deep inside, I've always missed their presence. I didn't know at the time because my memories went into the trash bin of my brain but it was my family that was missing. Along with that were my three friends. They were laughing it out and participating in the mess. I owed them now. I was probably going to see them more often.

I caught a glimpse of the sunhat on the counter. My vision dimmed and my heart sank again. I picked it up and pulled out the letter that was with it. Judging by the handwriting, it was grandma's. She's caused us so much trouble but I felt bad for how we treated her. I mean sure, she was forcing me to take her place but I think she was desperate. I was the closest, or maybe the only, relative around aside from my sister. Maybe she didn't trust her because of her shady background and turned to me instead. I sighed. I felt extremely guilty now. _Did she have to die like that though..?_ Oil in the garage spilled into the heater and everything exploded. I don't even know how that happened. It didn't matter anymore.

Needing a moment of peace, I quietly went into my room. I closed the door behind me and almost jumped when I saw someone on my bed. It was my sister, sleeping there with her arms tucked under her head. I sat at my desk to open the letter but the squeak from the chair woke her up. I didn't know what to say. There were a billion of questions I wanted to ask her. I didn't know where to start.

"Come here."

I looked up and saw that she was motioning me to go to her. "…What is it?" I hesitantly went to her side.

She sat up and suddenly pulled me toward her by the arm. She lowered my shirt's collar to reveal my shoulder. The scars were still there; the gunshot and knife carvings. The look in her eyes hit me. She was obviously pained by the sight.

I put my hand over my shoulder. "It's fine… You had no choice, right?"

She winced as if she had been stabbed in the back. She let go of me and faced the wall. "You're too forgiving."

I fixed my shirt. "Or you're overthinking things." She's been mad at me and I was willing to let her take her anger out on me. I was the cause of it so it only made sense to let it be so.

"Shut up." Her voice faded out. We were quiet for a moment until she decided to speak up again. "You're wondering why I helped, aren't you?"

I sat on the edge of the bed and swung my legs back and forth. "I thought you hated me."

"I thought so too." She brought her leg up and rested her chin on her knee. "…I'm a free woman now."

I looked back at her. "You mean…"

"Yes, you were right. That man I fell in love with was only using me…" She sighed and kicked at one of her boots that were lying on the ground. "…and seeing another girl."

_Ouch…_ It reminded me of Ty and how he was a cheater. I didn't really know what to say to her to comfort her. "…How did you find out that he was a… cheater?"

She stomped on the ground. "I found out that he was a two-timer when I apparently put his other girl in danger. He was beyond furious… and since I haven't really made any progress on getting the heirloom, he kicked me out. Filed a stupid divorce and all without a second though."

_The heirloom… was it really worth that much?_ "I-I'm sorry to hear that."

"You don't need to say it." She got quiet again, probably thinking about the breakup. She took a deep breath. "Anyway, I wanted to prove my worth once more and went solo. I continued stealing jewels for cash but it wasn't the same anymore." She let out a weak laugh. "Then I thought I'd steal the heirloom for sure this time to renew my vigor."

_Renewing your vigor, huh..?_ I got up and went to my drawer.

"But I couldn't find you and your stupid housemates because you moved. I ended up tracking your phone to granny's and there, we made a deal. I'd help her get you to her and she'd make me the rightful heir to her company." My sister looked up at me. "I was seriously set on dropping all this crime stuff. I wanted a normal life again!" She scowled. "But she freaking betrayed that promise by naming _you_ next in line!" Tears began swelling in her eyes. A sob escaped from her but she maintained a forced smile. "I was furious at her so that's why I agreed to help your weird friends. I wanted to get you out of the picture so that she would fulfill her promise."

"But it all burned down in the end…" I reached into the top drawer and dug under my socks.

She sniffled. "That hag deserved it."

_I guess… Oliver didn't though…_ I shook the thought away and pulled out a box. "…Are you going back to stealing stuff again?"

"I don't know anymore..." She rested her head against her leg.

The sight of her falling apart like that pained me. Even though I've barely seen her, the beautiful, bold, and strong sister I've known and loved despite it all was now tattered and battered to the ground. She was so confused. She's lost it all and regretted every decision she'd made out of jealousy. It was unbearable. I went up to her and carefully placed the box in her hand.

She brushed her hair aside and stared at it and then at me. With trembling hands, she opened it. Her mouth dropped open and she looked back at me in disbelief. "…What are you doing?"

"I want you to have it…" The glass sphere glistened under the light. I haven't actually seen it in a while so the sight of it was admittedly breathtaking. "I know it means so much to you for reasons other than money."

She carefully closed the box and tossed it aside on the bed. "…You idiot." Tears ran down her cheeks. Her jaws clenched as she lowered her head. "You idiot…"

I brought her in an embrace. She was trembling. I stroked her short hair. "It's okay, onee-chan [big sister]… It's all fine now…"

We were like this for a while, until she calmed down and ended up falling asleep. It was around three-thirty in the morning. I was exhausted myself. I draped my blanket over her and set the heirloom on the bedside table. I tiptoed over to my desk to turn off my light but I saw the half-opened letter. _What's written in that thing anyway..?_ Curious, I pulled out what I thought was a letter. It turned out to be grandma's will.

_Carry at all times in case something bad happens. _

She must have been a bit paranoid if she carried this thing around with her everywhere. I scanned the list. It was basically her wealth, company management, properties, and etcetera. At the end was a name to which it would all go to. I frowned. It was me. I really didn't want all this. Maybe a little tempted at the property part but honestly, I was happy at where I was.

My sister mumbled something and rolled over in the bed. She was deep asleep now. I smiled. I grabbed a sharpie from my desk drawer and crossed out my name from the will. I wrote _"To Natsumi"_ in bold, red letters. _If it was directed to me then I had the power to spread the wealth, right?_

I tucked the letter under the heirloom box and turned out the lights. I was so tired. Sleep sounded nice. I didn't even want to bother checking how everyone else was doing. I didn't even care to change or wash up. I slipped under the sheets by my sister. Once my head sunk into my pillow, I was out for the night.

* * *

><p><strong>And she slept happily ever after…<strong>

**Hurrah this is pretty much the end of this arc. It was a little drabby but how did you guys like it? I ended up making stuff up along the way despite saying that I planned out ten chapters in advance or whatever -v-; Things just didn't play through and I kept coming up with new ideas. Thanks for sticking with me this far though! **

**Nowwwww, I'm at a loss of what I should do next. I'm a bit tempted to wrap this story up a little and do a time skip thing. . .Opinions? **I'll leave a poll on my profile about that.

**For now it might just be random scenerios and mishaps I've thought of but wouldn't fit into the storyline. **I'm also willing to collab with any other manual fic writers out there if you're interested~**. **

**I feel like I'm writing the A/N as if this is the final chapter of the story. . . It's not the end! At least, I think not. . . **

**Anyway, thank you so much for sticking with me up to this point. 54 chapters + prologue, are you kidding me? You all get interweb cookies and brofists for that. I really, sincerely appreciate all the support you've given me through the reviews, faves, and follows.**

**Love you all!**

**~Miracle **

**Ps. Please check out the poll! Every opinion matters, thank you :3**

**Pss. There were many "suggestions" about a love interest for Nana among the units so I used Alfred. Happy guys? I know it was only for an instant but I'll probably go back to it in the next chappy. **


	56. Chapter 55: How It Should All Be

How It Should All Be

I woke up feeling extra drowsy. My brain was functioning slowly, taking up my surroundings little by little. The light through the shades was pretty faint but the house sounded a bit livelier than usual. _What are they doing so early in the morning..?_ I rolled over in my bed to see the time. The 'on' switch of my brain immediately activated. It was five in the afternoon.

Now that I was fully aware again, I realized the absence of my sister. Though naturally, I'd think everyone would be up and about by now. I glanced over at the bedside table. The will was gone too but the heirloom box was left where I last placed it, seemingly untouched. _Maybe she just took the thing itself?_ I opened it. I was wrong. The glass sphere was still there, with a little piece of paper tucked behind it.

_Thank you._

They were simple words, but I felt that I knew what my sister was trying to say. She was never good at these things. I smiled and placed the paper on my desk. I then quickly changed and washed up. _Why didn't anyone wake me up?_ In the midst of my routine, I remembered about Feliciano's condition. I probably put on my shirt backwards but no matter; I needed to see how he was doing. I swung my door open but rammed right into what felt like a brick wall. While rolling around in pain for a brief moment, I saw that it was the bookcase.

"Geez…" I rubbed my shoulder and got back to my feet. _What were they planning now?_ I went to my window and saw that it was also blocked, by planks of wood. _What is this? A horror movie where the house is miserably trying to be zombie-proof?_ Seeing that it wasn't worth my time to pry the boads off, I returned to the door and hit the shelf several times.

"_We forgot to move the bookcase, daze!" _

"_Oh! So that's what that 'thud' was." _

"_You were supposed to move it an hour ago, you burger-loving idiot!" _

Footsteps approached and a moment later, the shelf was moved aside. Ivan smiled at me and held up a blindfold. I looked at him unsurely but before I could protest, he secured the cloth over my eyes and led me down the hallway. I knew we were downstairs but I couldn't help but to grab onto his arm. That fall down the stairs was unimaginably scary. My toes felt the rug from the living room right as the Russian put me to a stop. He undid the blindfold.

"_Happy Belated Bithday~!"_

My eyes adjusted to the light as confetti flew at my face. I blinked and scanned the room filled with my units, Elizabeta, my three friends from school, and even Mark. A laugh escaped me. _Right, I kind of missed my birthday party.._. In the center, I saw Feliciano. His arm was perfectly intact. He was smiling brightly at me right with the others. My lower lip quivered a little. Without a second thought, I ran right up to him and gave him the biggest hug I've ever given anyone.

He chuckled lightly. "Buongiorno [Good morning]~. Did you sleep well?"

"Oh hush..." I felt his arms wrap around me. "I'm just glad that you're okay…"

"And I'm happy you're back!" He held me tight. "Mia sorella~."

Slightly lost at the unfamiliar phrase, I looked up at him for clues. Elizabeta butted in and leaned her face towards my ear. "'My sister'." Feliciano giggled and I felt myself blush a little.

Alfred also intervened and hung his arms over our shoulders. "Now that we're all caught up... Let's get this belated-birthday party started!"

"_Yay!"_

Alfred had set up games for us to play and with him being young at heart, they were all nonsensical but everyone still had a lot of fun; probably because they were all competitive. The winner in the end was allowed to delegate the meals and have a room to themselves for a day. Some of the games were a bit childish, especially for the older guys but they eventually got absorbed into the competitive nature. And who won in the end? Sydney. Sadly for the guys, the room deal was set aside for another time but she told us what we had to eat for each meal tomorrow. They weren't necessarily bad but they were clearly German-centric, much to Gilbert's pleasure.

Then came dinner, then the gifts, and finally the cake. It was a vanilla cake with nutella frosting. I didn't think that existed but I was glad it did. It was the best thing ever. By this time, everyone was a little tired out so they lounged around and busied themselves in random conversations. Ly, Irene, and Syndey seemed really happy being able to hang out and talk with their favorite characters. I was happy for them too.

I went to my room to keep the various gifts I received safe. When I returned to the living room, I picked up my slice of unfinished cake and plopped onto the finally vacant couch. Coincidently, Alfred sat down right next to me at the same exact time.

"Whoa, sorry dude." He scooted aside a little.

"It's okay." I proceeded to eat my cake but it wouldn't go down my throat. Images from last night kept popping into my head. I couldn't get myself to meet his eyes. "…Thanks for the party."

"Yeah! Yeah, no problem." He sat back stiffly in the couch. "We totally had to make up for that rude interruption from last week. Everyone deserves an awesome party." He took a sip of coke.

I smiled. "Well, this is definitely the best party I've ever had." I continued eating my cake.

He choked a little then leaned forward again, with a big grin on his face. "Mission accomplished then!"

I felt myself blush a little and just nodded. Francis told me how Alfred freaked out the most while I was gone. I faintly remember him visiting me several times back at the mansion. I appreciated his efforts. He was trying to be a hero. But that last thing he did that night. My face started to heat up. I desperately tried to shake off the thought. "Um… Thanks for—" He suddenly pulled me towards him as a flying wad of cake flew past my head.

"Why'd you have to move, you unawesome commie?!" the Prussian yelled at Ivan, who was only smiling at him all innocently.

Francis sighed. "Gilbert, mon ami [my friend], did you really have to throw my creation like that?"

Elizabeta gave him a disapproving look. "Gil, go clean that up right now."

Alfred was still holding me against him as the commotion was going on. I could hear his pulse beating faster and faster. This was quickly getting awkward. I pointed to a direction. "Hey, look over there." As he did so, I smeared my plate of cake in his face and fled to the other side of the room.

He was stunned for only a quick second before he laughed it off, placed his messy glasses on the table, and grabbed a chunk of cake as well. "That was so cheap!" He chucked it at me but it ended up hitting Arthur, who just happened to walk in between us. The Brit fumed and threw what was left of the cake back at him. The twins got in on the action too. Soon enough, I've started a cake fight. Big mistake? Probably. I decided to apologize to Francis later.

And so, the party came to a close around ten. Sydney took the other two home and I promised to see them back at school on Monday after I got myself registered back in. The rest of us had to clean up the remaining trash that was lying around. I collected plastic cups from the table and tossed them into the garbage bag. I looked around and then tugged at Yao's sleeve before he went another direction. "Did Elizabeta leave already?"

"I think I saw her go a minute ago, aru." He continued sweeping up crumbs of cake from the kitchen floor.

"…I'll be right back." I handed the bag to the Chinese unit and made my way to the front door.

"_Aiyah! Where are you going?" _

I slipped on my shoes and dashed out the door. Luckily, she wasn't too far down the street. "Elizabeta!"

She stopped and turned around, slightly tilting her head. "Nana?"

White puffs wafted into the cold air as I caught up to her. _I'm so out of shape…_ I rubbed the back of my neck. "Thanks for everything."

She smiled. "No problem! It would have been terrible without you around, especially for the boys."

I laughed. "I can imagine." My eyes then went down to the ground. I didn't catch her to just thank her. There was something else but I didn't know how to say it.

"Well, I'm glad everything turned out right in the end." She stretched. "I have work in the morning so I got to go." She started walking again.

I bit my lower lip. "Wait!"

The Hungarian looked back again. "Yes?"

"Can't you…" I took a deep breath, "…Can't you stay with us?"

She gave off a faint smile and kept walking. Before I could say anything else, she waved at me. "I'll go get my things."

I grinned. I owed her so much and she deserved to be a part of us, not freezing her butt every night out in that tent all alone. Besides, I needed another female in the house. I ran back home, only to be scolded by Yao for leaving him with the trash.

…

A few days later, I received a letter from Shirley about my grandmother's funeral. She was going to be buried in a cemetery near where the mansion was, and so was Oliver. I asked the guys to stay home. This needed to be done alone.

After the service had ended and everyone had left, I went up to the beautifully decorated coffin. I felt a bit numb. I didn't really know her but she shouldn't have had to die. I probably should have given her a chance and properly talked things out with her instead of being childish and running away. A long sigh escaped me. _I'm sorry, grandmother._ I looked up at the sky. _I'm sorry, father._ At least they were together again.

In the distance, I saw my sister talking to a bunch of important looking people. She was in charge of all this now anyway. I wouldn't have been able to handle it; too much pressure. She noticed me and flashed a quick smile. I returned the expression. I did the right thing. She would be happier this way.

I next visited Oliver's grave. I set down his sunhat by the tombstone. There wasn't much written on the stone. Some of his family members had paid him a visit as well so some flowers were neatly placed in front of the grave marker.

"Thank you," I softly whispered. I vaguely remembered his goofy kindness during my time with amnesia. Shirley filled me in saying that he would always cheer me up one way or another. _Then he had to go on like this and sacrifice his life..._ I closed my eyes. _Thank you for everything…_

I decided to wander to the lake that was by the cemetery. A subtle breeze blew by as I leaned against the stone wall. This place depressed me. I mean of course, it made sense to, but it almost felt like ghosts were wandering everywhere. The thought gave me the creeps.

I threw a pebble into the water. Mother was buried at a cemetery like this, though the ceremony itself wasn't so grand. I stared out at the lake. I felt almost embarrassed that I asked about my mother's whereabouts when my memories were missing. _Of course she's gone…_ It must have been awkward for everyone. Some birds flew by. My eyes followed them into the sky. It was as blue as it could be, with some patches of clouds. I closed my eyes.

_Dear Mother,  
>Another family member had joined you and father. She had departed in a very unfortunate way and I am terribly sorry for what had happened. I cannot ask for forgiveness. It was my fault. In other news, my sister and I finally made up. She will hopefully be leading a much better life from now on. I hope to see her more often. As for me, I am doing okay. I have a second family that's been growing bigger and bigger. They make me the happiest person in the world. So please don't worry about me. I am in good hands.<br>Please continue to watch over me and my sister. We love you._

I sighed as I opened my eyes. I can send messages to her all I want but I can't hear back from her. It's such a one-sided thing.

It was getting a little late so I decided to go home. The guys told me that they would pick me up so I called Francis, with my new phone, and he told me that they would be right over. I said my final goodbye to Oliver and grandmother, and I told my sister that I would stay in touch with her. She gave me her email address and said that this was the best way to reach her. After parting with her, I went down to the gate.

"Nana~!" I smiled at the brunette waving at me. Feliciano was waiting by the car, holding the door open for me. Francis and Alfred were present as well.

I took a last look at the cemetery.

_There are ups and downs in life but the only direction you can move is forward. _

I stepped into the car and stared out at the scenery as we drove out of the place.

_Rest in Peace, Iyata Yukibara. Rest in Peace, Oliver. _

_Good luck, Natsumi._

I looked ahead at the three units in the car with me.

_And thank you guys, for always being by my side._

* * *

><p><strong>Aye, sappy chapter ending. Well, people died so I kinda had to put it this way, right? <strong>

**I don't want to say much here since the epilogue will explain it all. **

**Sorry for the heavy text and little dialogue. I wanted this chapter to be a little mellow and reflective since it's leading in to a closure. **

**Yes, a close. More will be explained in the next and final chapter. **

**Thanks for everything you guys. **


	57. Epilogue: Snow Rose

Epilogue: Snow Rose

_A white rose, a rare flower that blooms amidst the snow. Although it grows magnificently, with pure white petals and a crystal blue stem, no one dares to touch it. Once embraced, it will melt..._

In our lives, we all have our ups and downs. Sacrifices are no exceptions either. We cry, we laugh; we fall, we fight; we hurt, we heal; it's all part of the package deal. A storm of emotions brews up at times and blinds us. This prevents us from seeing what is truly important in our lives.

One could isolate themselves to prevent pain from grabbed them by the ankle and carry on as usual, but that is only a mere act of cowardice. In order to truly free themselves from the fear of pain, they have to stand up and face the hardship head on. In truth, it is a solo mission but it's almost impossible to go very far without having love and support refueling you and pressing you forward. You must realize and embrace the love that exists around you; not the fake and superficial ones but the genuine and sweet ones. Don't take those honest feelings for granted. Don't be afraid of them. They want to help. They want to help free you. They stand by you for a reason. They put up with you for a reason. Don't hide. Don't decline. Don't try to put up a front. Let them help you. Let them help free you. It's not a burden. It's never a burden. Yes, we all carry around our own weight but when it becomes unbearably heavy, it's time to call for help. Your pain is my pain. It's not okay to leave you in the dust. It's never okay.

We wake up to live to see another day because we're holding onto something, whether it is something to look forward to, something to believe in, or something to love. That belief, that faith, is stronger than the dreadful feeling inside. We live some more, we fight some more, we hurt some more, we laugh some more.

Be honest to yourself. Don't hurt yourself more than you have to. It's okay to be weak. It's okay to fall. It's okay to complain. It's okay to hate the world. It's okay to call for help. Someone out there will come to you. At times it might not be right away but they'll come. You just have to keep on believing. Hold onto that thread of hope and never let go.

Just never give up all the way. We all have a future. Don't be afraid. There are people that genuinely care about you. You're not alone. You're never alone, even if you feel like that is true. Love for you is out there.

_Once embraced, it will melt… and reveal a flower like no other._

You just have to dig through the ice and snow to find your unique, true self.

And have alongside you the people who gave you the warmth to break through it all.

...

I chuckled as I closed my worn-out journal. It's only been two years but the cover's gotten all messed up from the use and abuse it's been through. I placed it back into the storage box that was in the back of my closet. I had to admit, I was a bit naïve then but those feelings were true; true for everyone out there. I dusted my hands and closed the closet door.

"What were you looking for in there?" Elizabeta rolled over in her bed and peeked up from her magazine.

"Some old notes that I thought would help me with this math problem." I tossed a composition book onto my desk. "I ran into some other artifacts along the way."

She smiled. "That's always interesting." She sat up and stretched. "Hey, how does a fifteen minute sound? You've been studying for that final like there's no tomorrow. It's only the midterms."

"I just don't want to give in to senioritis." I closed the closet door. "But a break sounds nice."

"Good girl." Elizabeta got up and I followed her out the room.

Feliciano pranced over in my direction as we went past the dining room. "Ve~ Nana, can we have pasta for dinner?"

"I don't really mind." I looked over at the guys in the living room. "Objections?"

"The Awesome Me is always okay with your pasta!"

"Borscht is good too, da?"

"Dude, let's have a barbecue instead!"

"Mon ami, it's fifty degrees out. Why a barbecue in the middle of winter?"

"Aiyah, just go with pasta."

"_Nana, a delivery, daze!" _

I followed the voice to the front door. A tall wooden crate stood right at the doorway. I sighed and went through the usual routine of signing a document and getting the manual. The box was wheeled in and the delivery person went off on their merry way. Yong Soo and I pushed the crate into the living room, where the rest of the bunch was eager to see who'd join us now.

Whoever this was, I hoped they're ready to face whatever was going to hit us next.

I took a deep breath and flipped open the manual.

_Welcome to the family._

* * *

><p><strong>Well this was tricky to write. . . Epilogues, geez. A general message about life plus a little fast forward in time. Its purpose was to hint at a…<strong>

…**SEQUEL! **

**Yep, Bittersweet will be having a sequel. It will be called With a Dash of Melancholy ~.My brain and story ideas have been developing an awful lot lately so I felt the need to expand out a bit more… 16 is a nice age and all but I feel more comfortable writing when the character's the sameish age as me so the next setting will be at age 18 (Now, I'm not 18 yet but I know the age thing in the story drags out so I wanted to get ahead). **

"**A Slice of Bittersweet Life" is over, major plot-wise. BUT I will continue posting "omakes" ("extras") since there are scenerios that I wanted to write out but couldn't fit it into the plot. I also have a two part collab with fellow Hetalia manual fic writer EliteKessu ("Why Me?" and "Why Not?") coming up so stay tuned for that~. **

**I apologize for those that wanted me to continue with the same age and new arc in the same story. I just couldn't do it, especially since the next story conflict is a pretty big one. **

**Anyway, I want to say a HUGE thank you to everyone that supported me through this hectic story. I wouldn't have imagined working on this for two years without you all. I mean I barely touch a book for Pete's sake! To drive me write 55 chapters + Prologue & Epilogue means a lot. Seriously. You're all crazy and deserve a high five. I love you all~. **

**I hope to make a comeback just as good as this one (though, we all know that the sequels always suck. . . erm). Let's just see where time takes us on our new adventure. **

**Thank you for everything everyone. **

**-MiracleHeart **

**Ps. The beginning part was more of a universal message I guess. I tied Nana's experiences to a general idea (though I probably missed some points). I'm sorry if it made anyone feel a bit uncomfortable. I tend to write like this when it comes to something 'motivational'. Too much passion OTL **

**SEE YOU AROUND~**


	58. Omake: Another One of Us Pt 1

OMAKE:  
>Another One of Us (Part One)<p>

"Five dollars for a bucket."

The father from the family of three handed me the money, and in return I handed him the ping pong balls. I stood back and watched as they threw the balls at the clear, white, and blue cups, which were floating in a huge tub of water. If they get the blue one then they would win a big prize. Sadly for them, they couldn't get them in. I handed them the small prizes since some went into the clear cups.

"Hey Nana," my game booth partner came up to me with a tired expression on her face, "could you take this customer over for me? She's so persistent… I mean she already spent twenty-five dollars."

I glanced over at the brown-haired girl that was cursing under her breath every time she missed the cups. _She really wants to win this, huh..?_ "Sure, I can do that." I walked over to the other side and collected the balls that were scattered on the ground.

The guys and I decided to work at a fair that apparently came to town on an annual basis. They were in need of booth operators and we needed some extra cash; it was the perfect situation. Feliciano, Arthur, and I put ourselves in the game booths while Gilbert and Francis stationed themselves in the food stands that were selling their respective country's delicacies. Alfred on the other hand was on security patrol with his police unit. The rest decided to get a taste of how American fairs were.

"Come on, you stupid thing! Get in the blue jar!" The girl tossed her final ball but it bounced right out. Seething, she slammed down another five dollars.

I dumped my collection into an empty tub and grabbed another bucket of ping pongs. "I don't think it's really worth wasting thirty bucks on this…"

"But, but, I want that Hello Kitty doll!" She pointed up at the large, puffy mascot that had on a Chinese dress.

_I know I'm supposed to sell as much as I can but…_ I placed the bucket in front of her. "Aren't there other booths with the doll?"

She grabbed the container and started tossing the balls again. "Believe me, Yao is so picky with this dolls." She missed the first three shots. "And that one," I followed her finger up to the doll again, "is the only one of that size."

_Very picky… Wait…_ I cashed in the five dollars. "Yao..?"

"Yeah, my housemate, Wang Yao." A ball almost went into the blue cup but it bounced off the rim. "He's not here with me so I wanted to get him something nice."

I sat down to watch as the white spheres bounced here and there. "I see…" _So she's a unit owner too..?_

"Nana, I got you food, aru." Yao walked up to the booth and held up a thing of fries and a corndog.

The girl stopped and stared at the Chinese unit. "Wait, Yao? Huh?" Her eyes followed him as he handed me the food. "Uhh what?"

I jumped to my feet. "He's uhh…" I took the food and started pushing him out of her sight. "Thank you, bye!"

"Wait a minute!"

After two more shoves or so, I gave up. "Y-yes..?"

She stared at us with slanted eyes. "You wouldn't happen to be… a unit owner?"

Yao looked back at her. "You own units too, aru?"

I bit my lower lip. _Yao_..!

The girl started laughing. "Oh my god!" I could almost image the background twinkling around her due to the atmosphere she was creating. "I knew there were more people like me."

I chuckled nervously. _She really was a unit owner, that's great to know…_ "So… how many do you own?"

"Umm…" She held up a finger for each name she muttered. "…And I just got Natalya so fourteen." My mouth hung open. _What?!_

Yao made a face. "Aiyah, what a handful."

"With the icy queen, Ivan has been freaking out to no end." She tossed one of her last balls at the cup. "I feel bad for him."

"I bet… Poor guy." I seated myself and stared down at the many ping pong balls lying on the ground.

"Anyway…" The girl threw her second to last ball, which went into a clear bowl. She made an aggravated cry and grabbed the last ping pong ball. "I am going to get you, blue bowl!"

I smiled and ate a fry. "Good luck, random stranger."

"Meh~," she closed one eye and began aiming, "I'm kind of glad it's a slow day so people won't see me freak out."

Yao sat down beside me. "People are fussing more over the rides and bottle set-up game, aru."

"Oh really?" She held up the grand prize teddy bear that was wearing a flower crown. "I just did that second one and I got it the first time."

"What?!" Yao and I exclaimed at the same time, causing her to jump back in surprise.

I settled back down and cleared my throat. "I mean, that's amazing. Gilbert was so frustrated about missing it every time."

"Seriously? Well I can get him something if he wants a thing," she returned to her focus-mode, "after I get that blue bowl." The girl took a deep breath and tossed her final ball. It bounced on several cups. Then, as we held our breaths, the white sphere finally dropped into the blue bowl. She jumped up in triumph. "Yes!"

Although I was indifferent towards the other customers, I couldn't help but to clap for her. "Congrats." I climbed up and took down the desired Hello Kitty doll.

She grinned and gratefully took it into her arms. "Oh yeah, and don't forget about all those clear jar prizes."

I paused and looked back at the jars. Just about every one of them was filled. "Oh man…" She laughed nervously. Not bothering to count, I decided to give her a basket full of small prizes. "Here."

Her expression changed from delight to worry. "Now how am I going to carry it all..?" Her head hung down in dismay.

I rubbed the back of my neck. _It would be a pain to carry all that…_ Before I could suggest anything to her, someone hug-tackled me from behind.

"Ve~ my turn for the shift!" Feliciano hung onto my waist.

I squirmed out of his grasp and turned to the girl. "How about I hang onto them while I'm on break then?"

She grinned. "How about you hang out with me? You seem cool."

"I'll watch over your prizes, aru," Yao offered. "American fairs are too outrageous for me."

The girl nodded at him. "Xie xie [Thank you]."

"I guess I'll go with you then." I grabbed my food and jumped out of the booth. "So, um, I'm Nana."

"I'm Kara, nice to meet ya." She held out her hand.

I put the food down, wiped grease off of my hands, and shook her hand. "Nice to meet you too."

Kara smiled in satisfaction. "Hey, I'm starving so I'll just get some food first." She scanned the food booths. "Maybe some German food might be…" She paused. "Huh?"

I looked over in the direction she was gawking at. It was the place where Gilbert was working. I cleared my throat. "Some of my units and I decided to work here to earn some extra cash."

She spun on her heels. "Wow, are you that strapped on cash?"

I shrugged. "The guys want another TV, extra computers, game consoles, and stuff…" They were getting tired of the 'no' entertainment thing.

"Well it's a different situation where I live." She stretched up at the gray sky. "We just got a brand new house to make room and it shot my bills right up."

"That stinks…" We started walking toward the German food booth. "We had similar issues when we moved but some of the guys got jobs so we've been managing."

"Nice." Kara went up to the stand. "Hi, can I get a hot dog?"

Gilbert didn't bother to look at her. "$6.50." He turned around to prepare the food.

She placed the money on the counter and peered into her wallet. "Man, I think I spent more than I thought."

_I wonder why…_ I gave Gilbert a quick wave as he turned around. He just glanced at me for a brief second and went back to Kara's order. After cashing in the money and giving her change, he handed her the steaming hot food. "You'd better enjoy this awesome German food!"

"Thanks, Gilbert." She took the hot dog and grabbed some condiments and napkins.

The Prussian snickered then smirked at me. "I'm so awesome that everyone knows my name!"

Kara glanced over at me and then back at him. "Good try but I'm a unit owner too."

I nodded. "Yep."

His cocky expression turned into a scowl. "Yeah, whatever." He shooed us away and went on to the next customer.

Kara and I walked aimlessly around the place. She took a bite of the hot dog. "Well, one thing about the Germans," she swallowed, "they make the best wurst."

"Yeah." I glimpsed through a crowd and spotted Arthur at the water-squirting booth.

She noticed him as well. "How many of your housemates work here?"

"Five of them," I nodded at Arthur as we met eyes and then dodged some kids that ran by, "the other four are enjoying their time until we're all done."

"I know my housemates are around but only a few of them came here." She looked around as if she was trying to spot them.

"That's cool." _Imagine all fourteen coming along with her…_ I finished the last of my corndog. "Who was your first unit?"

Suddenly, someone ran up to Kara from behind. "Your breasts belong to me, daze~!" I blushed at the sight and was about to yell at the Korean but realized that he was wearing a different outfit. The victim kicked him in the shin and lashed out at him. "How many times have I said not do that?!"

Yong Soo rubbed at where he got struck. "Sorry, daze…" He looked up at me and his eyes lit up. "You have a new friend?" The unit got to his feet and gave me a friendly smile. "I'm Im Yong Soo, Kara's housemate, daze."

I nodded at him. "I'm Nana. I'm a unit owner too."

"You are?!" He threw his arms out. "Well that explains why Yao didn't recognize me earlier."

_Clash of the units…_ I chuckled softly. "I'm sorry about that."

Kara waved the problem away and turned to her unit. "So where are idiots one, two, and three?" In response, he pointed at the tallest ride in the area.

I rubbed my arm. "I would never go on that thing…"

Kara shuddered. "Me neither; I have a fear of heights."

"Well," Yong Soo pulled out some tickets from his pocket, I'm going to go on some rides, daze. See ya~!"

After he left, we threw our food trash away. I stretched and looked around. "What do you want to do now..?"

She was snickering. "Well, it looks like Alfred is annoying Arthur at the squirt gun booth."

I saw that the Brit was extremely annoyed and had to contain it since there were so many people around. _Good thing my Alfred was patrolling on the other side… Arthur wouldn't want double the trouble._

Her unit glanced over in our general direction and waved. "Hey Kara!"

As we approached the booth, Arthur was muttering under his breath. "That bloody git, pretending to not know anything!"

Kara greeted Arthur and then her Alfred unit. He pointed his thumb at the man in uniform. "Dude, I didn't know Arthur worked here."

The Brit pulled me aside. "I thought Alfred was stationed at the far end of this place."

I laughed nervously and tried not to make eye contact. "Yes, you're correct… This is a different Alfred."

Kara popped in. "I'm a unit owner from out of state."

"…Ah…" Arthur heaved a heavy sigh. "I see… A fellow unit owner."

"Yep." She patted on Alfred's shoulder. "This idiot is with me."

My unit shook his head. "That would explain why he was acting more like an idiot than usual."

"Hey!" Alfred pouted while Kara just snickered at him. He then faced the Brit. "So anyways, gimmie my prize~!"

Arthur rolled his eyes. "Why of course." He tossed a stuffed Angry Bird at him.

"_There you are you bloody idiot!"_

I spun around and saw another Arthur unit stomping up to us. _Double Arthurs…_

Kara saw too. "Oh god."

My Arthur put a hand on his hip. "Could you please keep your idiot under control?"

The other crossed his arms. "Excuse me, but this 'idiot' abandoned me at the ride."

"Just keep him away from me then." My Brit went up to the other customers.

Kara's Arthur huffed and turned to where Alfred was. His expression darkened as he realized that the American was gone again. "Now where did he go?"

I pointed toward a fun house. "I think he went in there."

He sighed and turned to Kara. "Stay safe, love."

"Okay, see ya." She watched him as he rushed over to the building.

I patted my pockets for my wallet and smiled when I found that it was there. "Is there a ride you want to go on?"

She shrugged. "Not really. You?"

My eyes slowly shifted to the ground. "I'm afraid of big rides…" _And this fair was full of them!_

"Aww. How about a low roller coaster?" She pointed at one that was near us.

_Ehh…_ "I guess that might be okay."

"Whoo!" She pulled out her tickets and ran toward the ride.

The small coaster wasn't so bad. The only minus was that my motion sickness overpowered the thrill. After we go off the ride, I slumped down onto a bench in defeat. My hands were even trembling a little.

Kara stretched up at the sky. "Man, I wish it lasted longer." She spun on her heel to face me. "Hey, you work here. What time do you need to go back?"

I raised my head. _Uh oh._ I pulled out my phone to see the time but there was a spam of texts I didn't realized I've received. "Uhh in five minutes."

She laughed. "Okay, back you go."

I got up and was about to run off, but I decided to turn back around. "How long are you going to be in the area?"

The girl smiled. "Until the end of the week. I'm in the art contest that's happening later on."

_Francis mentioned something about that…_ "I'll check it out."

"Cool." The look of determination ran across her face. "I hope I win because that $15,000 cash prize will help out a lot."

I grinned. "Good luck, Kara." Then I rushed off to my station.

* * *

><p><strong>Yay collab chappy(s) with EliteKessu~. <strong>

**I felt it was time that Nana met Kara -u- The inspiration of the fair came around since there was one where Elite and I lived so we were like "eh, why not?".**

**Two part omake so I hope you enjoy the other half too :D **

**Ps. Nana is 17 here (and Kara is 19). I forgot to add it in the dialogue. **

**Kara belongs to EliteKessu ("Why Me?" and "Why Not?")**


	59. Omake: Another One of Us Pt 2

OMAKE:  
>Another One of Us (Part Two)<p>

"Oh~ tres bien!"

We surrounded Francis as he held up a tattered sketchbook. Roughly etched in pencil was a gorgeous flower field that spread across a temple ruin. Scatters of compliments flew in our guest's way from left and right.

After all of our shifts at the fair ended, we had decided to have Kara stay over for the night. Her full name was Kara Maribelle and she was two years older than me, nineteen. She shared to us about her three jobs and ambitions in college- to study art. She was also a beta tester so she's received a lot of different units that weren't openly available for regular customers like me. A Belarus unit had recently joined her, but she was causing a ton of trouble for her and everyone else in the household. Ivan felt sorry for his 'other self'.

By the time we went through the entirety of her book, it was time for dinner. Tonight was a classic, but authentic, Chinese dinner. Midway through the meal though, the alcohol came out; not the usual light ones but the big guns. I didn't particularly know why there was a drinkfest tonight but it was a warning flag for me and Kara. We retreated to my room to finish our dinner. Alfred decided to join us as well.

"Hey, I got your drinks." He placed the cups down on my desk to avoid any spills. We thanked him and he placed himself on Elizabeta's bed while Kara was on mine.

I cast a glance at the American, who had prompted to stuff his mouth. "Don't you dare drop those dumplings on her blanket." Kara giggled and continued eating her orange chicken. I stared at the sketchbook and wiped my mouth with a napkin. "You're a really great artist, Kara."

She swallowed whatever food that was in her mouth. "Thanks, although I'm not as good as Feli or even Francis."

"Still really awesome though, entering in art contests and all," said Alfred as his mouth was full. Some pieces of rice flew out but they luckily landed on his plate.

She blushed and looked over at me for some support. I just smiled. "I can't wait to see your completed work."

She set her empty plate aside. "Aww come on, it's not that great."

I shook my head. "I basically have zero talent so I can't help but to truly admire your work." What I just said made her face turn another shade of red

Alfred pulled his phone out and scrolled through something before tossing it over to Kara. "This is pretty much the only contest she's entered."

I scooted my chair over to where Kara was and blushed just as red as she was seconds ago. She showed me the picture of the time I entered the beauty pageant. "Aww, you look so cute!" In a hushed tone, she added, "I feel sorry for you."

I grabbed the phone and placed in under my thigh. "I am confiscating this…"

After an hour or so, the conversations had started to die out. Kara rolled over on her stomach. "So, the day after tomorrow is the art show."

Alfred tossed my pillow up in the air. "What are you planning to do in the mean time?"

"I don't know."

I finished the last of my water. "It's not like there's much to do around here besides the fair." _Though… maybe there was more stuff to do in California than Washington._

She shrugged. "Well, I'll just hang out with you guys."

I exchanged looks with Alfred and then turned back to her. "Are your guys going to be okay?" She suddenly froze, probably at the realization that she'd completely neglected them since they parted ways at the fair. And that was six hours ago.

Alfred leaned back against the headboard. "Where are they anyway?"

She sat up. "At the hotel closest to the fair."

I rubbed the back of my neck. "Let's just hope they don't cause too much trouble…"

A dark gloom was slowly looming over her. "I have a bad feeling…"

When I glanced over at my phone, the sounds of dishes breaking sounded from down the hall. I peeked up and saw the stress on her face grow. I laughed nervously. "You should give them a call at least…"

"Yeah… Can I use your phone?" I tossed it to her.

Alfred got up and yawned. "Might as well see what broke this time." He picked up our empty cups and dishes and left the room.

After a quick conversation, Kara slammed her fist against the wall. "What do you mean by that?!" A frantic murmur piped through the speaker. "What do you mean by that?!" I just blinked and watched from where I was sitting.

Alfred returned to the room with a chocolate bar. "It apparently there was an," he held up his fingers for air quotes, "'accident'."

Kara pinched the bridge of her nose. "I am going to drown you in pure grease when I get my hands on you _three_!"

The unit joined me in my corner. "Dude, what's going?"

I shrugged. "…Something really, really bad…"

She tapped her fingers on the wall impatiently. "Well duh, we have to pay for it! But just so you guys know… You're going to compensate with your paychecks!" She hit the wall again.

Alfred sat on my bed. "Who do you think those 'three' are?"

I brought a leg up against my chest. "If she has a Spain model then I can only guess who the other two are…"

She sighed heavily and closed the phone. "Those idiots."

Alfred seated himself at the edge of the bed closest to her. "Dude, what happened?"

She rubbed her temples. "The Bad Touch Trio decided to have their own party and completely destroyed the barstools at the local bar… Then they got arrested."

"What?!" Alfred and I shouted in unison.

Kara growled. "Arthur had to bail them out… He's not going to be pleased at all."

"They're so going to have to owe him for that." Elizabeta leaned against the doorway. We were startled from her sudden presence.

"Yep..." A yawn escaped Kara.

The yawn was contagious and spread around to everyone else. I rubbed my eye. "I guess we should get to bed."

"Yeah we should." She stretched and rested her chin on her palm. "'Been having trouble sleeping though."

Elizabeta tilted her head. "Why's that?"

She yawned again. "I have no clue."

"Oh!" Alfred got up. "Maybe I should count sheep for you!"

She gave off a hesitant expression. "Count sheep..?"

The Hungarian unit giggled. "Feli's been doing that lately so I guess he wanted to give it a try."

"But…" Kara looked skeptic. "Does it work?"

At that, Elizabeta turned to me with a smile. I quickly looked away. "Y-yes… I don't know about Alfred, but yes. It does." With some reluctance and Alfred's plea, she decided to give it a go. He left the room so that we could get ready.

Kara walked out of the bathroom. "That reminds me, where do I sleep?" I pointed at my bed. "And you?" I moved my finger to where the living room was. She made a face. "Uhh… How about I sleep on the couch?"

"No it's fi—" A pillow came flying my way, knocking me off my chair.

Elizabeta gathered some of her things off her nightstand. "I'll take the couch tonight. Kara can sleep on my bed."

I got up and smiled at her apologetically. "Alright. Thank you."

"I'll make sure the boys keep it down over there~." She casually picked up her frying pan and left the room.

Kara sprawled out on my bed. "Man, it must be nice having a character like her."

I sat on my bed. "Yeah…" It really was nice having another girl in the house.

Alfred entered the room with his pajamas on. "Ready for the sheep counting?"

Kara tucked herself in. "I wonder if it will actually work…"

As Alfred dimmed the room light, I went under the covers as well. The American pulled a chair up by Kara's bed and sat comfortably on it. When we were all settled down, he took a deep breath. "One sheep, two sheep, three sheep, four sheep, five sheep, whoo hoo!"

I raised my head. _Are you kidding me..?_

Kara groaned and stared at him. "Please tell me you are not being serious."

Alfred's jaw dropped. "What?"

She threw her head back. "We are trying to sleep, not celebrate a football game."

He pouted. "Oh fine. It's not really my thing but I'll try." He started counting from where he left off, a little quieter than before but it was still a bit loud.

I rolled over to face away from him. _Naturally loud people… I don't know whether to love them or hate them…_

"That was still a bit loud, you know," Kara muttered.

"Seriously?" Alfred spun in the chair and stopped in my direction. "She's doing fine."

"I rolled over to move farther away from your voice."

"Fine…" Alfred cleared his voice and let the moment of silence bring the tension back down. He told us to snuggle in our blankets so that we wouldn't catch a cold.

I prepared for the worst but the storm never came. He began counting again, but it was in a much more gentle and sincere way. Satisfied, I allowed myself to close my eyes and relax.

"Getting sleepy?" Alfred chuckled softly. I supposed that Kara was relieved as I was. "I guess it's more effective when I count like this, huh?" He continued counting up to thirty-five. I wasn't sure of how long he went on but the exhaustion from work drifted me right to sleep.

* * *

><p>The American unit looked over at the two girls, who to him seemed to be asleep. He did a fist pump. "Looks like the hero did his job!"<p>

"Hey."

Alfred dropped his arm as he noticed that Kara was still awake. "Whoops." Nana muttered something but she was well on her way down sleepville. The American settled down in his chair and began counting again for their guest. It took a while but she finally fell asleep by the time he counted fifty sheep. Feeling accomplished, he did a silent fist-pump and attempted to make a quiet exit. Rather than the expected creaking that came with opening doors, laughter erupted from down the hall.

"_That's why you get!"_

Kara woke up, startled. She looked around the room to see what the issue was. Nana on the other hand groaned and placed a pillow over her head.

"_Gil, keep it down!"_

Alfred facepalmed. He peered out and saw that Elizabeta was chasing Gilbert around the house. She was covered in flour and eggs.

Kara hung her head. "Now you see why I can't sleep…"

Alfred smiled at her apologetically. He didn't blame her. Though, Nana fell right back to sleep. He scratched his head and planted himself back on the chair again.

The guest frowned. "I wonder if I should handle it."

Ivan then walked in, with splotches of flour on his shirt. "That woke you up, da?"

"Yeah…" Kara groaned and sunk back down into the pillows. "Man, I was just going to sleep too…" She looked up at the Russian. "What's going on out there?"

He put on a smile that somehow reflected both resentment and amusement. "Silly Gilbert set up a trick for Elizabeta."

Kara sighed. She got out of bed and grabbed a pillow. "I'll be back."

As Alfred went to leave the room with her, Ivan sat on the desk chair. "Have fun, comrade~."

The girl found Gilbert and Elizabeta running around in the dining room. Right as he was a foot away from her, she threw the pillow at his head, causing him to fall backwards.

Elizabeta skid to a stop and stomped on his stomach. "That's what _you_ get!"

Kara sighed in relief. "We are trying to sleep here." She gave the Prussian a dark glare. "Wake me up again and you are dead."

Gilbert, whose head was spinning in circles and insides were being crushed, weakly lifted a hand to salute her. "Y-yes ma'am…"

"Good," Kara huffed. She picked up the pillow and dragged herself back into Nana's room.

Ivan was poking Nana's cheek when the girl returned. "She's deep asleep, da?"

"Yeah. If only I could be like that." Kara threw herself on the bed.

"How long have you had units for?" he asked.

"Uhh… about two years now."

He looked up at her in question. "You should be used to the silliness by now, da?"

She sighed. "Well I guess it's because I've been stressed out recently with the new house."

"That is a lot to handle. But you have a family to help you out with that, yes?"

She stared at the floor. "Yeah I know. But most of the time, I handle a lot of the billing. I really don't want to stress out my family so I… try to handle everything by myself." She noticed that Ivan shook his head in disapproval. "I know." Another sigh escaped her. "Sorry to spill things like this to you."

"Comrade, we were created to make you laugh at the silliness, make you cry in frustration, and make you feel better when you're down." The Russian petted her head. "We're also here to carry your burdens with you. So open up and relax a little?"

"But…"

Ivan knelt onto the ground to meet her eyes. "They live with you so they need to pick up their slacks too, da?"

She wasn't completely sold. "I guess? They're family so I don't expect anything."

He smiled as he got up and messed with her hair. "At least give it a try. Otherwise, tell the 'other me' to enforce it~."

A sense of sadness reflected in her smile. "He's preoccupied."

"Preoccupied?"

"We recently got Natalya as a housemate."

Ivan shuddered. "Oh yes, you mentioned that earlier." He glanced over at his sleeping owner and then back at Kara. "Anyway, think about it, da? You should get back to sleep."

She groaned. "I don't know if I can."

"Hmm…" He saw the time to be almost two. He wasn't that tired yet. "Should I count sheep for you?"

"What?"

He giggled. "It seems like a lot of fun."

The girl thought about Alfred's counting and how it took a while. "Are you sure?"

"Da."

"Well, okay then…" She made herself comfortable and waited for him to start.

Ivan took a deep breath. "One sheep… two sheep… three sheep… four sheep… five sheep…" He continued up to ten but the girl didn't seem sleepy at all. He stopped and the two engaged in a small conversation about the different breeds of sheep found in his country. Kara got some chuckles or two out of that. The Russian decided to pick up from where he left off.

Ten more sheep later, Kara was getting sleepier. Ivan noticed her curling up in a ball some more. "Oh? You look like you're getting sleepy already and I've only counted twenty sheep… Is my counting that good?"

"Yeah… it's relaxing."

"Really?" Ivan smiled in relief. "Do you wish you could listen to me count sheep forever?"

Kara blushed a little and partially hid her face under the blanket. "Maybe…"

"Aw, I'm glad~." Ivan shifted in his seat. "I'll start counting again and try a bit harder this time."

About twenty sheep later, their new friend had fallen happily asleep. The house was quiet as well. The Russian chuckled. "You look so cozy…" He quietly got up from the chair and slowly opened the door. "Spokoynoy nochi [Good night]~."

He closed the door behind him and sighed in content. "I wonder if I can somehow contact 'other me'…"

Elizabeta walked out of the bathroom in sleep gear. "Are they asleep?"

Ivan smiled. "Da. They looked very comfortable."

"Good." She grinned and looked over at Gilbert, who was tied up and had duct tape over his mouth. "I got him to shut up."

"Duct tape, nice touch, comrade." The Russian crouched down and poked at the Prussian's cheek.

She joined in the poke fest, which further irritated the loud soul. "Why thank you."

Ivan yawned and stood up. "Sheep counting made me tired too. Good night~." He made his way upstairs.

"Good night." Elizabeta waved him off. She yawned as well and headed toward the living room to get to her makeshift bed, leaving the Prussian alone in the dark, cold hallway.

* * *

><p><strong>Aaand collab omake end. <strong>

**This was a cute chapter although it required so so much cutting and condensing. We decided that we wanted the main part to be about the sheep counting (inspired by Hetalia's counting sheep drama CDs). It didn't occur to me until I started writing that Nana fell asleep after Alfred counted... Don't see the problem you say? Well, this story is first-person! If the main girl's perspective is gone then what? Sure, I could have used Kara but I decided to stick with third-person POV instead. **

…**I learned that the plural of sheep is still sheep. English is weird. Deer, deer. Sheep, sheep. Fish, fish. Moose, moose…**

**Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this bit. There might be more omake chapters in the future if I come up with any (or if you would like to request something). Otherwise, go check out Bittersweet's sequel- "With A Dash of Melancholy"! **

**Kara Maribelle belongs to EliteKessu ("Why Me?" and "Why Not?") **


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